Polymorphism of CCR5 affecting HIV disease progression in the Japanese population

Among several factors associated with HIV-1 disease progression, genetic polymorphism of CCR2, CCR5, and CXCR4 in HIV-1 infection has been found. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the CCR2, CCR5, and CXCR4 genes as well as a 32-base pair deletion in the open reading frame of the CCR5 gene are associated with HIV disease progression among Caucasians and African-Americans in North America and Europe. However, in populations other than Caucasians and African-Americans, SNPs have not been fully examined. In our study SNPs in CCR2 coding and CCR5 regulatory regions have been examined in 98 Japanese HIV-positive individuals. The alleles of CCR5 regulatory regions at -2135T and -2086G are associated with late onset of AIDS (p < 0.05; odds ratio for the early onset of AIDS, 0.502 and 0.404, respectively). In contrast to this, the allele of CCR5 at -2086A is associated with the early onset of AIDS (p < 0.05; odds ratio for the early onset of AIDS, 2.133). A haplotype including two alleles at -2135G and -2086G is associated with the late onset of AIDS (p < 0.05; odds ratio for the early onset of AIDS, 0.372). Thus we found that a CCR5 SNP and haplotype polymorphism affect HIV disease progression even in the Japanese population. This indicates that the CCR5 genetic polymorphism affecting disease progression should be studied in a wider range of population.