HLA-B*14 allele predicts HIV-1 mother-to-child-transmission, in Salvador, Brazil

Abstract Background Class I human leukocyte antigens, especially the molecules encoded at the B locus (HLA-B), are associated with AIDS progression risk. Different groups of HLA-B alleles have been associated to a protective effect or increasing susceptibility to HIV infection and are expressed from the earliest stages of gestation. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate which variants of HLA-B are associated with the risk of HIV vertical transmission in infected pregnant women and in their offspring, in a referral center in Salvador Bahia. Methods We performed HLA-B genotyping in 52 HIV-infected mothers and their children exposed to HIV-1 during pregnancy ( N  = 65) in Salvador, Brazil. We compared the HLA-B alleles frequency in mothers, uninfected and infected children, according to the use of antiretroviral prophylaxis. Results Absence of antiretroviral antenatal and postnatal prophylaxis was significantly associated with vertical transmission of HIV-1 ( p  =  p  =  p  = 0.002), HLA-B*18 (16.7%, p  = 0.04) or HLA-B*14:1 (20.8%, p  = 0.01) alleles subgroups were significantly higher in HIV-1 infected children and persisted (HLA-B*14, p  = 0.04) even after adjusting for use of antiretroviral prophylaxis. No significant difference in expression of HLA-B alleles was observed among mothers who transmitted the virus compared to those who did not. Conclusions Expression of HLA-B*14 allele in children exposed to HIV-1 is predictive of vertical transmission and reinforces the important role of genetics in mother-to-child transmission.