LACK OF PROTECTION FROM HIV-INFECTION BY THE MUTANT HIV CORECEPTOR CCR5 IN INTRAVENOUSLY HIV-INFECTED HEMOPHILIA PATIENTS

The CCR5 chemokine receptor is an important coreceptor for macrophage- tropic HIV strains. Homozygous carriers of the mutated CCR5 receptor w ith a 32 bp deletion (Delta 32-CCR5) are highly protected against HIV infection. A protective effect has also been described for heterozygou s individuals carrying both mutated and wildtype CCR5 receptors. We co mpared the frequency of the mutated Delta 32-CCR5 HIV coreceptor in HI V positive patients infected by sexual contact (N = 160) with intraven ously HIV infected hemophilic patients (N = 84) and HIV negative indiv iduals (N = 421). We found no protective effect of Delta 32-CCR5 HIV c oreceptor in hemophilic patients (p = 0.0134). If proteins of plasma c oncentrates would be responsible for facilitating the entry of HIV mac rophages by upregulation of the CCR5 wildtype receptor it would be of therapeutical interest to identify the responsible plasma proteins.