European mitochondrial haplogroups are associated with CD4+ T cell recovery in HIV-infected patients on combination antiretroviral therapy.

BACKGROUND

There is substantial interindividual variability in the rate and extent of CD4+ T cell recovery after starting combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). The aim of our study was to determine whether mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups are associated with recovery of CD4+ in HIV-infected patients on cART.

METHODS

We carried out a retrospective study on 275 cART-naive patients with CD4+ counts <350 cells/mm(3), who were followed-up during at least 24 months after initiating cART. mtDNA genotyping was performed by Sequenom's MassARRAY platform.

RESULTS

Patients within cluster JT and haplogroup J had a lower chance of achieving a CD4+ count ≥500 cells/mm(3) than patients within cluster HV and haplogroup H [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.68 (P = 0.058) and HR = 0.48 (P = 0.010), respectively]. The time of follow-up during which the CD4+ count was ≥500 cells/mm(3) was longer in haplogroups HV and H than in haplogroups JT and J [20 months versus 6.2 months (P = 0.029) and 20 months versus 0 months (P = 0.024), respectively]. Additionally, haplogroups HV and H had greater chances of achieving a CD4+ count ≥500 cells/mm(3) during at least 12, 36, 48 and 60 months post-cART initiation compared with patients within haplogroups JT and J. Patients within haplogroup T only had a lesser chance of achieving a CD4+ count ≥500 cells/mm(3) during at least 48 months and 60 months post-cART initiation.

CONCLUSION

European mitochondrial haplogroups might influence CD4+ recovery in HIV-infected patients following initiation with cART. Haplogroups J and T appear to be associated with a worse profile of CD4+ recovery, whereas haplogroup H was associated with a better CD4+ reconstitution.