Distribution of CCR2-64I and SDF1-3′A alleles and HIV status in 7 ethnic populations of Cameroon

Limited information is available on the prevalence among rural Africans of host genetic polymorphisms conferring resistance to HIV-1 infection or slowing HIV disease progression. We report the allelic frequencies of the AIDS-related polymorphisms CCR2-64I, SDF1-3'A, and CCR5-Delta 32 in 321 volunteers from 7 ethnic groups in Cameroon. Allelic frequencies differed among the 7 ethnic groups, ranging from 10.8% to 31.3% for CCR2-641 and 0.0% to 7.1% for SDF1-3'A. No CCR5-Delta 32 alleles were found. HIV seroprevalence was 6.9% in the total population and peaked at younger ages in girls and women than in boys and men. Among 15- to 54-year-olds, HIV seroprevalence varied from 2.0% to 11.1% among the village populations. Conditional logistic regression analysis using data from boys and men aged 15 to 54 years showed the number of CCR2-641 alleles to be a significant risk factor for HIV seropositivity (odds ratio per allele adjusted for age and matched on ethnic group = 6.3, 95% confidence interval: 1.3-30.3);, this association was not found in women. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that CCR2-641 alleles may delay HIV disease progression without affecting susceptibility to infection among men. We did not observe this relation among women, and other factors, such as multiple pregnancies or maternal stressors (eg, breastfeeding), may have masked any protective effect of CCR2-641 alleles. Further study of this issue among women is warranted. SDF1-3'A did not differ between HIV seropositive and HIV seronegative individuals associated with increasing age among HIV-seronegative women, suggesting a protective effect against HIV-1 infection.