Low prevalence of human leukocyte antigen-B*5701 in HIV-1-infected Chinese subjects: a prospective epidemiological investigation

Background Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B*5701 is strongly associated with developing a hypersensitivity reaction to abacavir (ABC). Limited data exist on HLA-B*5701 prevalence in HIV-1-infected subjects in China. We investigated HLA-B*5701 prevalence in HIV-1-infected population including Han and non-Han ethnic groups. Methods A prospective multi-centre study was designed to determine status of HLA-B*5701 in HIV-1-infected adults at six sites across China. HLA-B*5701 was tested by the method of PCR-SSP. Results From six centers, 3,000 HIV-infected patients [2,452 (81.7%) Han, 548 (18.3%) Non-Han] were recruited with a mean age of 36.7 years old. The overall HLA-B*5701 prevalence was 0.86% [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.55–1.26%]. The prevalence of HLA-B*5701 among Han subjects was similar to that among non-Han subjects, which was 0.88% (95% CI 0.54–1.34%) and 0.76% (95% CI 0.19–1.93%), respectively ( p value = 0.787). There were no differences in prevalence of HLA-B*5701 between subjects born in Henan, Yunnan, Shanxi, Guangdong, Hebei, Beijing and other provinces ( p = 0.999). Conclusions HLA-B*5701 prevalence is very low in HIV-infected Chinese subjects, both in the Han and Non-Han nationalities. And there are no differences among different birthplaces across China.