Introduction:

Polymorphism in some chemokine genes is associated to resistance to HIV-1 infection. Homozygous Δ32 mutation of the CCR5 coreceptor is related to resistance to infection, whereas heterozygous mutation is related to a delay in the progress of the disease.

Objectives:

Identify the frequency of genetic polymorphism of the CCR5 coreceptor in the patients studied, as well as its relationship to CD4+ T lymphocyte levels, viral load and opportunistic diseases.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study was conducted of 45 Cuban elderly HIV/AIDS patients attending the Medicine Service of the University Hospital Center at IPK from January to May 2019. These patients underwent polymerase chain reaction testing (PCR) to determine genetic polymorphism of the CCR5 coreceptor.

Results:

A predominance was found of wild homozygotous genetic polymorphism of the CCR5 coreceptor with 87%, followed by heterozygotous Δ32 genetic polymorphism with 13%. In 80% of the patients studied the viral load was undetectable, whereas in 56% CD4+ T lymphocyte levels were above 350 cel/µl. The prevailing opportunistic disease was Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in 32% of the subjects. Statistically significant differences were not found between genetic polymorphism of the CCR5 coreceptor and CD4+ T lymphocyte levels, viral load and the opportunistic diseases present in the patients studied.

Conclusions:

The genetic polymorphisms of the CCR5 coreceptor found in the study were of the wild homozygotous and heterozygotous Δ32 types. Gene polymorphism was limited in the patients studied.

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