Prevalence of HLA-B*5701 and Its Relationship with Abacavir Hypersensitivity Reaction in Iranian HIV-Infected Patients

BACKGROUND: Hypersensitivity reaction (HSR) is a major adverse effect of abacavir (ABC), which occurs in 5–8% of Caucasians. The relationship between Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) and ABC HSR has been reported in various populations. It has been proposed to administer ABC only to HLA-B*5701 negative patients to avoid this reaction. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of HLA-B*5701 in Iranian HIV positive patients. We also sought to find the relationship between this allele with ABC HSR in patients who received the medication. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We screened patients for HLA-B*5701 allele using SybrGreen real time PCR-melting method on blood samples from HIV positive patients who were referred to our hospital. The quality of the extracted genome was evaluated by B-globin housekeeping gene as internal control prior to HLA-B*5701 allele screening. RESULTS: Of 198 HIV-infected patients, 6 (3.0%) had the HLA-B*5701 allele (95% CI, 1%–5%). Among the 28 patients who were given ABC, one individual had the HLA-B*5701 allele and experienced ABC HSR. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of HLA-B*5701 in Iranian patients was lower than that in Caucasians but was comparable with that of other Middle Eastern populations. Screening for HLA-B*5701 before ABC administration as part of antiretroviral therapy may reduce the risk of HSR.