HLA-Bw4 homozygosity is associated with an impaired CD4 T cell recovery after initiation of antiretroviral therapy

We assessed the influence of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles HLA-Bw4 and HLA-Bw6 on CD4 T cell recovery after starting successful combination antiretroviral therapy in 265 individuals. The median gains in the CD4 T cell count after 4 years were 258 cells/μL for HLA-Bw4 homozygotes, 321 cells/μL for HLA-Bw4/Bw6 heterozygotes, and 363 cells/μL for HLA-Bw6 homozygotes (P = .01 , compared with HLA- Bw4 homozygotes). HLA-Bw4 homozygosity appears to predict an impaired CD4 T cell recovery after initiation of combination antiretroviral therapy. © 2008 by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved.