Control of simian immunodeficiency virus SIVmac239 is not predicted by inheritance of Mamu-B*17-containing haplotypes.

It is well established that host genetics, especially major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes, are important determinants of human immunodeficiency virus disease progression. Studies with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected Indian rhesus macaques have associated Mamu-B*17 with control of virus replication. Using microsatellite haplotyping of the 5-Mb MHC region, we compared disease progression among SIVmac239-infected Indian rhesus macaques that possess Mamu-B*17-containing MHC haplotypes that are identical by descent. We discovered that SIV-infected animals possessing identical Mamu-B*17-containing haplotypes had widely divergent disease courses. Our results demonstrate that the inheritance of a particular Mamu-B*17-containing haplotype is not sufficient to predict SIV disease outcome.