HLA-B5701 frequency n Chilean HIV-infected patients and in general population

• Published in: The Brazilian journal of infectious diseases Vol. 14; no. 5; pp. 510 - 512
• Main Authors: Poggi, Helena, Vera, Alejandra, Lagos, Marcela, Solari, Sandra, Rodríguez P, Luis, Pérez, Carlos M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Editora Ltda 01-09-2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: abacavir; Chile; HIV; HLA-B5701; pharmacogenetics; abacavir; HIV; Chile; pharmacogenetics; HLA-B5701
• ISSN: 1413-8670
• DOI: 10.1016/S1413-8670(10)70102-1

It has been demonstrated that HLA-B*5701 screening reduces the risk for hypersensitivity reaction to abacavir in HIV-infected patients. Since B*5701 prevalence varies among different populations, it is important to determine the carrier frequency prior to its use for the screening of HIV-infected patients. The aim of this study was to determine HLA-B*5701 carrier frequency in Chilean general population and HIV-infected patients referred for B*5701 typing. For that purpose 300 blood bank donors and 492 abacavir-naïve HIV-infected patients from Chile were screened for B*5701 by a sequence specific primer PCR. We detected 14/300 (4.7%) B*57-positive individuals in the Chilean general population, 11 (3.7%) were B*5701 positive, and 3 (1%) had another subtype. All were heterozygous, thus a B*5701 allele frequency of 2% was determined. Eleven of 492 (2.2%) HIV-patients carried a B*5701 allele. The difference between these frequencies is probably due to slow progression of HIV infection in HLA-B*5701 carriers, thus less patients would require antiretroviral therapy and B*5701 typing. Considering the usefulness of B*5701 screening, its prevalence in the Chilean general population, and the availability of a validated method, we conclude that HLA-B*5701 typing in Chilean HIV-infected patients about to initiate abacavir treatment is strongly recommended.