OBJECTIVE: To explore the association of the polymorphism of homologue of dendritic cell-specific intercellular adhesion molecule-3 (ICAM-3) grabbing nonintegrin (DC-SIGN related, DC-SIGNR) gene with the susceptibility to HIV-1 infection. METHODS: The distribution of the DC-SIGNR variants in the tandem repeat region and their association with HIV-1 infection in a cohort composed of 345 HIV-1 seropositive and 468 high-risk HIV-1 seronegative individuals was examined. RESULTS: There are 14 genotypes and 5 alleles in the DC-SIGNR repeat regions in the cohort. Although the most common DC-SIGNR allele among Chinese Han population and the Caucasian population is 7, it was found in a higher frequency in the Chinese than in Caucasians (67.1% vs.46.0%, P<0.01). HIV-1 seropositive individuals had a lower frequency of the genotype 7/7 than the high-risk seronegative individuals (38.55% vs. 48.29%, P=0.0057), but a higher frequency of genotype 9/5 (4.35% vs. 1.07%, P=0.0029). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the tandem-repeat polymorphisms of the DC-SIGNR gene in the Chinese Han population exhibit unique genetic characteristics previously unrecognized in the Caucasian population. Genotype 9/5 seems to be a risk factor for HIV-1 infection in the Chinese population.
OBJECTIVE: To explore the association of the polymorphism of homologue of dendritic cell-specific intercellular adhesion molecule-3 (ICAM-3) grabbing nonintegrin (DC-SIGN related, DC-SIGNR) gene with the susceptibility to HIV-1 infection. METHODS: The distribution of the DC-SIGNR variants in the tandem repeat region and their association with HIV-1 infection in a cohort composed of 345 HIV-1 seropositive and 468 high-risk HIV-1 seronegative individuals was examined. RESULTS: There are 14 genotypes and 5 alleles in the DC-SIGNR repeat regions in the cohort. Although the most common DC-SIGNR allele among Chinese Han population and the Caucasian population is 7, it was found in a higher frequency in the Chinese than in Caucasians (67.1% vs.46.0%, P<0.01). HIV-1 seropositive individuals had a lower frequency of the genotype 7/7 than the high-risk seronegative individuals (38.55% vs. 48.29%, P=0.0057), but a higher frequency of genotype 9/5 (4.35% vs. 1.07%, P=0.0029). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the tandem-repeat polymorphisms of the DC-SIGNR gene in the Chinese Han population exhibit unique genetic characteristics previously unrecognized in the Caucasian population. Genotype 9/5 seems to be a risk factor for HIV-1 infection in the Chinese population.