This article belongs to the Section Molecular Medicine.
Interleukin-7 receptor subunit alpha (IL7RA) rs6897932 polymorphism IS related to CD4+ recovery after combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), but no studies so far have analyzed its potential impact in patients with very low CD4+ T-cells count. We aimed to analyze the association between IL7RA rs6897932 polymorphism and CD4+ T-cells count restoration in HIV-infected patients starting combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) with CD4+ T-cells count 20% and was in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (p = 0.550). Of 411 patients, 256 carried the CC genotype, while 155 had the CT/TT genotype. The CT/TT genotype was associated with a higher slope of CD4+ T-cells recovery (arithmetic mean ratio; AMR = 1.16; p = 0.016), higher CD4+ T-cells increase (AMR = 1.19; p = 0.004), and higher CD4+ T-cells count at the end of follow-up (AMR = 1.13; p = 0.006). Besides, rs6897932 CT/TT was related to a higher odds of having a value of CD4+ T-cells at the end of follow-up ≥500 CD4+ cells/mm3 (OR = 2.44; p = 0.006). After multiple testing correction (Benjamini–Hochberg), only the increase of ≥ 400 CD4+ cells/mm3 lost statistical significance (p = 0.052). IL7RA rs6897932 CT/TT genotype was related to a better CD4+ T-cells recovery and it could be used to improve the management of HIV-infected patients starting cART with CD4+ T-cells count
This study has been (partially) funded by grants RD12/0017/0031 and D16/0025/0013 to JMB, and RD12/0017/0024 and RD16CIII/0002/0002 to SR as part of the Health Research and Development Strategy, State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation (2008–2011; 2013–2016) and co-financed by Institute of Health Carlos III, ISCIII—Sub-Directorate General for Research Assessment and Promotion and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). MA Jiménez-Sousa is funded by project RD16CIII/0002/0002; MA Navarrete-Muñoz is co-funded by RD16/0025/0013 project and Intramural Research Scholarship from IIS-FJD. N Rallón is a Miguel Servet investigator from the ISCIII [grant number CP14/00198].