The HLA-B*5703 allele confers susceptibility to the development of spondylarthropathies in Zambian human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients with slow progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Objective: To analyze the HLA distribution in a population of individuals from Zambia in order to establish a possible relationship between the progression of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and the development of spondylarthropathy (SpA).

Methods: A large epidemiologic analysis of rheumatology patients living in Zambia was performed in order to identify those who had SpA. We selected 64 patients with SpA and found that 54 also had HIV type 1 (HIV-1) infection; only 10 were HIV negative. Additionally, we selected 57 HIV-infected individuals without SpA and 43 healthy controls. Among all of the HIV-1-infected patients, 25 SpA-positive and 24 SpA-negative patients were classified as slow progressors to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and 8 SpA-positive and 26 SpA-negative patients were classified as rapid progressors. All patients were typed for HLA-B alleles.

Results: Of the 64 patients with SpA, HIV infection was observed in 54 (84%). The frequency of B*5703 was increased in patients who were SpA positive and HIV positive compared with patients who were SpA negative and HIV positive (P = 0.0002, odds ratio [OR] 8.28). Among patients who were slow progressors to AIDS, this allele was overrepresented in those with SpA compared with those without SpA (corrected P = 0.001, OR 26.25).

Conclusion: HLA-B*5703 seems to be a protective allele against the progression of HIV infection but could influence the increased incidence of SpA observed in this population.