Trim5α Genetic Variants and HIV-1 Infection in the North Region of Cameroon

The intrinsic host defense system plays an important role in the restriction of retroviral infection. The objective of the study was to determine the role of Trim5α polymorphism in children living in the North region of Cameroon. A case control study was carried out in the health facilities among HIV-1 infected and uninfected children under 15 years, all born from HIV-1 infected mothers. Blood sample was collected to determine HIV status and genotyping conducted by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) followed by Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP). The Chi-squared test was used to assess the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Overall, 25 HIV-1 infected and 88 uninfected children were recruited. We found that the proportion of GG genotype was lower in uninfected children (85.2%) than in infected ones (92.5%). The proportion of GA genotype was higher in uninfected (12.5%) compared to infected children (8.0%). AA genotype was absent among infected children while the proportion in uninfected children was 2.3%. The frequency of Trim5α-136Q allele in uninfected and infected children was 9.0% and 4.0% respectively. The proportion of mutant homozygotes was elevated in uninfected children (14.8%) than in infected ones (8.0%). Moreover, children carrying mutated phenotype were 2 times less likely to be infected compared to those without it. The mutated phenotype of the Trim5α-136Q gene may be protective against HIV-1 acquisition in children. Further investigation in a follow-up cohort considering other polymorphisms in a large population will help in better appreciation of Trim5α role in HIV-1 acquisition and disease progression in children.