Possible Association of HLA-DR2 Phenotype and Detectable Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) p24 Antigen in HIV-Positive Patients

Several studies have suggested that genetic factors associated with the major histocompatibility complex may affect the acquisition or progression of infection with human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV) type 1. HIV p24 antigen has been widely used as a marker of viral replication. Of patients with AIDS, 57% have detectable titers of serum p24 antigen, which is rarely detectable in asymptomatic patients. Detection of p24 antigen before the disease has become symptomatic correlates strongly with rapid disease progression. It seems that p24 antigenemia preferentially identifies a subgroup of HIV-infected patients who produce low initial antibody responses to p24 and develop AIDS within a relatively short period after infection, whereas patients who never manifest antigenemia generally have longer incubation times. We studied the relationship of the simultaneous presence of HLA antigens and p24 antigen to the outcome of the disease.