Polymorphism in the CC-chemokine receptor-5 (CCR5) gene and risk of AIDS among Kashmiri population
Keywords:
CCR5- 32, HIV (Human immuno deficiency virus), mt (mutant type), wt (wild type)Abstract
Chemokine receptors and their ligands may confer resistance to HIV-1 infection and/or AIDS progression. Our aim
was to study our population for the most frequently studied polymorphism CCR5-32 for evaluating their contribution to
a protective genetic background against HIV infection and progression. One hundred and fifty blood samples from
normal controls were recruited at random among prospective normal blood donors and forty blood samples of
HIV/AIDS patients from Ethnic Kashmiri population were collected from Blood Bank and National AIDS Control
Organisation of Sheri Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Soura, Kashmir respectively. Genotyping was performed
by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis followed by electrophoresis. The CCR5- 32 genotype frequency
among our study group was wt/wt (93.3%), wt/mt (4%) and mt/mt (3%) from control group, revealing CCR5 32 allele
frequency of 5%. The frequency of the CCR5- 32 allele among our study population seems to be remarkably higher
compared to previously reported frequencies in other Asian populations. However, since this polymorphism is related with
delayed progression from HIV infection to AIDS, it could be used for prognostic genotyping in HIV infected Kashmiri
individuals.
