Association of HLA-B alleles with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection in the Yi ethnic group in Sichuan province.

Objective To determine the distribution of HLA-B alleles in the Chinese Yi ethnic group and its association with HIV infection. Methods One hundred and six unrelated healthy HIV negative and 73 HIV positive Chinese Yi ethnic individuals were typed by PCR-SSP. Results The frequency of alleles B*07, B*35, and B*46 were increased in HIV-1-positive subjects, whereas the alleles B*55, B*44 and B*78 were absent in the HIV-infected persons studied. The B*46 allele was present in a significantly higher gene frequency among HIV-1-positive individuals (P=0.02, OR=3.32, 95% CI=1.13-9.78) compared with control subjects. Conclusion HLA-B*46 may be associated with its susceptibility to HIV-1 infections.