AEGiS-11IAC: HLA class I peptide motif frequency in HIV-1 proteins correlates with the alleles association with disease progression.

11th International AIDS Conference

Vancouver, British Columbia — July 7-12, 1996

HLA class I peptide motif frequency in HIV-1 proteins correlates with the alleles association with disease progression.

Int Conf AIDS 1996 Jul 7-12; 11:223 (abstract no. Tu.A.283)
Mann DL, Kaslow R, Goedert JJ, Nelson G; National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD. Fax: 301-846-1909.

OBJECTIVE: To elicit potential immunologic mechanisms that might account for the associations of different HLA alleles with rapid or slow HIV-1 disease progression.

METHODS: One hundred thirty nine gay men with known seroconversion dates and followed for greater than 10 years were typed for HLA class I alleles and specific alleles identified that were associated with relative rates of disease progression. Viral protein sequences from 12 clade B viruses were aligned and the frequency of HLA class I allele specific motifs defined by amino acid anchor position enumerated. Correlation of these frequencies with the relative hazard of the alleles were examined.

RESULTS: The correlations of peptide motif frequency conserved in 10 of 12 viral sequences in the 4 major proteins and total virus are shown in the following table: (table: see text)

CONCLUSION: The results of the studies identify HLA class I alleles that are associated with variable rates of disease progression. The finding that there is a correlation of the frequency of combination of amino acids that anchor potential CTL-directed antigenic peptides to different class I alleles with the alleles association with disease progression provides incite into an immunologic mechanism that may explain variable rates of disease progression in HIV-1 infection.

Keywords: AEGIS, HIV-1, HLA Antigens, Disease Progression, Alleles, Peptides, HIV Infections, Proteins, Gene Products, gag, Human, Male, epidemiology, genetics, ICA11

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TuA283