Background

ZNRD1 was identified as a host protein required for the completion of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) lifecycle in a genome-wide screen using small interfering RNA gene silencing. Subsequently, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of host determinants for HIV-1 disease identified an association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ZNRD1 region with CD4(+) T-cell depletion.

Methods

We investigated the effects of SNPs in the ZNRD1 region on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection and progression to clinical outcomes in 5 US-based HIV-1 longitudinal cohorts consisting of men who have sex with men, males with hemophilia, and injection drug users (IDUs) (n = 1865). SNP function was evaluated by electrophoretic mobility shift assay and promoter luciferase assay.

Results

A haplotype in the ZNRD1 gene showed significant association with a 35% decreased risk of HIV-1 acquisition (OR = 0.65, 95% CI, .47-.89), independent of HLA-C rs9264942, in European Americans. The SNP rs3132130 tagging this haplotype, located in the ZNRD1 5' upstream region, caused a loss of nuclear factor binding and decrease in ZNRD1 promoter activity. ZNRD1 variants also affected HIV-1 disease progression in European- and African-American cohorts.

Conclusions

This study provides novel evidence that ZNRD1 polymorphism may confer host resistance to HIV-1 acquisition.

Background & aims

Spontaneous clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) occurs in approximately 30% of infected persons and less often in populations of African ancestry. Variants in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and in interferon lambda genes are associated with spontaneous HCV clearance, but there have been few studies of these variants in persons of African ancestry. We performed a dense multi-ancestry genome-wide association study of spontaneous clearance of HCV, focusing on individuals of African ancestry.

Methods

We performed genotype analyses of 4423 people from 3 ancestry groups: 2201 persons of African ancestry (445 with HCV clearance and 1756 with HCV persistence), 1739 persons of European ancestry (701 with HCV clearance and 1036 with HCV persistence), and 486 multi-ancestry Hispanic persons (173 with HCV clearance and 313 with HCV persistence). Samples were genotyped using Illumina (San Diego, CA) arrays and statistically imputed to the 1000 Genomes Project. For each ancestry group, the association of single-nucleotide polymorphisms with HCV clearance was tested by log-additive analysis, and then a meta-analysis was performed.

Results

In the meta-analysis, significant associations with HCV clearance were confirmed at the interferon lambda gene locus IFNL4-IFNL3 (19q13.2) (P = 5.99 × 10^-50) and the MHC locus 6p21.32 (P = 1.15 × 10^-21). We also associated HCV clearance with polymorphisms in the G-protein-coupled receptor 158 gene (GPR158) at 10p12.1 (P = 1.80 × 10^-07). These 3 loci had independent, additive effects of HCV clearance, and account for 6.8% and 5.9% of the variance of HCV clearance in persons of European and African ancestry, respectively. Persons of African or European ancestry carrying all 6 variants were 24-fold and 11-fold, respectively, more likely to clear HCV infection compared with individuals carrying none or 1 of the clearance-associated variants.

Conclusions

In a meta-analysis of data from 3 studies, we found variants in MHC genes, IFNL4-IFNL3, and GPR158 to increase odds of HCV clearance in patients of European and African ancestry. These findings could increase our understanding of immune response to and clearance of HCV infection.

Unlabelled

Chinese translation

Background

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections occur worldwide and either spontaneously resolve or persist and markedly increase the person's lifetime risk for cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Although HCV persistence occurs more often in persons of African ancestry and persons with genetic variants near interleukin-28B (IL-28B), the genetic basis is not well-understood.

Objective

To evaluate the host genetic basis for spontaneous resolution of HCV infection.

Design

2-stage, genome-wide association study.

Setting

13 international multicenter study sites.

Patients

919 persons with serum HCV antibodies but no HCV RNA (spontaneous resolution) and 1482 persons with serum HCV antibodies and HCV RNA (persistence).

Measurements

Frequencies of 792 721 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).

Results

Differences in allele frequencies between persons with spontaneous resolution and persistence were identified on chromosomes 19q13.13 and 6p21.32. On chromosome 19, allele frequency differences localized near IL-28B and included rs12979860 (overall per-allele OR, 0.45; P = 2.17 × 10-30) and 10 additional SNPs spanning 55 000 base pairs. On chromosome 6, allele frequency differences localized near genes for HLA class II and included rs4273729 (overall per-allele OR, 0.59; P = 1.71 × 10-16) near DQB1*03:01 and an additional 116 SNPs spanning 1 090 000 base pairs. The associations in chromosomes 19 and 6 were independent and additive and explain an estimated 14.9% (95% CI, 8.5% to 22.6%) and 15.8% (CI, 4.4% to 31.0%) of the variation in HCV resolution in persons of European and African ancestry, respectively. Replication of the chromosome 6 SNP, rs4272729, in an additional 745 persons confirmed the findings (P = 0.015).

Limitation

Epigenetic effects were not studied.

Conclusion

IL-28B and HLA class II are independently associated with spontaneous resolution of HCV infection, and SNPs marking IL-28B and DQB1*03:01 may explain approximately 15% of spontaneous resolution of HCV infection.

Background

Spontaneous clearance of acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is more common in women than in men, independent of known risk factors.

Methods

To identify sex-specific genetic loci, we studied 4423 HCV-infected individuals (2903 male, 1520 female) of European, African, and Hispanic ancestry. We performed autosomal, and X chromosome sex-stratified and combined association analyses in each ancestry group.

Results

A male-specific region near the adenosine diphosphate-ribosylation factor-like 5B (ARL5B) gene was identified. Individuals with the C allele of rs76398191 were about 30% more likely to have chronic HCV infection than individuals with the T allele (OR, 0.69; P = 1.98 × 10-07), and this was not seen in females. The ARL5B gene encodes an interferon-stimulated gene that inhibits immune response to double-stranded RNA viruses. We also identified suggestive associations near septin 6 and ribosomal protein L39 genes on the X chromosome. In box sexes, allele G of rs12852885 was associated with a 40% increase in HCV clearance compared with the A allele (OR, 1.4; P = 2.46 × 10-06). Septin 6 facilitates HCV replication via interaction with the HCV NS5b protein, and ribosomal protein L39 acts as an HCV core interactor.

Conclusions

These novel gene associations support differential mechanisms of HCV clearance between the sexes and provide biological targets for treatment or vaccine development.

Clearance of acute infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is associated with the chr19q13.13 region containing the rs368234815 (TT/ΔG) polymorphism. We fine-mapped this region to detect possible causal variants that may contribute to HCV clearance. First, we performed sequencing of IFNL1-IFNL4 region in 64 individuals sampled according to rs368234815 genotype: TT/clearance (N = 16) and ΔG/persistent (N = 15) (genotype-outcome concordant) or TT/persistent (N = 19) and ΔG/clearance (N = 14) (discordant). 25 SNPs had a difference in counts of alternative allele >5 between clearance and persistence individuals. Then, we evaluated those markers in an association analysis of HCV clearance conditioning on rs368234815 in two groups of European (692 clearance/1 025 persistence) and African ancestry (320 clearance/1 515 persistence) individuals. 10/25 variants were associated (P < 0.05) in the conditioned analysis leaded by rs4803221 (P value = 4.9 × 10^-04) and rs8099917 (P value = 5.5 × 10^-04). In the European ancestry group, individuals with the haplotype rs368234815ΔG/rs4803221C were 1.7× more likely to clear than those with the rs368234815ΔG/rs4803221G haplotype (P value = 3.6 × 10^-05). For another nearby SNP, the haplotype of rs368234815ΔG/rs8099917T was associated with HCV clearance compared to rs368234815ΔG/rs8099917G (OR: 1.6, P value = 1.8 × 10^-04). We identified four possible causal variants: rs368234815, rs12982533, rs10612351 and rs4803221. Our results suggest a main signal of association represented by rs368234815, with contributions from rs4803221, and/or nearby SNPs including rs8099917.

Spontaneous clearance of acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the MHC class II. We fine-mapped the MHC region in European (n = 1,600; 594 HCV clearance/1,006 HCV persistence) and African (n = 1,869; 340 HCV clearance/1,529 HCV persistence) ancestry individuals and evaluated HCV peptide binding affinity of classical alleles. In both populations, HLA-DQβ1Leu26 (p value_Meta = 1.24 × 10^-14) located in pocket 4 was negatively associated with HCV spontaneous clearance and HLA-DQβ1Pro55 (p value_Meta = 8.23 × 10^-11) located in the peptide binding region was positively associated, independently of HLA-DQβ1Leu26. These two amino acids are not in linkage disequilibrium (r² < 0.1) and explain the SNPs and classical allele associations represented by rs2647011, rs9274711, HLA-DQB1^∗03:01, and HLA-DRB1^∗01:01. Additionally, HCV persistence classical alleles tagged by HLA-DQβ1Leu26 had fewer HCV binding epitopes and lower predicted binding affinities compared to clearance alleles (geometric mean of combined IC₅₀ nM of persistence versus clearance; 2,321 nM versus 761.7 nM, p value = 1.35 × 10^-38). In summary, MHC class II fine-mapping revealed key amino acids in HLA-DQβ1 explaining allelic and SNP associations with HCV outcomes. This mechanistic advance in understanding of natural recovery and immunogenetics of HCV might set the stage for much needed enhancement and design of vaccine to promote spontaneous clearance of HCV infection.