HIV-1 Infection in Persons Homozygous for CCR5-Δ32 Allele: The Next Case and the Review.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Case report and review of published case reports
What was done
The authors reported a case of HIV-1 subtype B infection in an individual homozygous for the CCR5-Δ32 mutation. Proviral V3 region sequences from a blood sample collected within five months of seroconversion were analyzed to evaluate coreceptor tropism. The authors also collected and reviewed data from previous published cases of HIV-1 infection in CCR5-Δ32 homozygotes.
What was found
The patient was infected with a CXCR4-tropic (X4 or R5/X4) HIV-1 subtype B strain. The abstract reports no numerical data or specific counts from the compiled case review.
Why it matters
These findings confirm that lack of cell-surface CCR5 expression does not confer complete protection against HIV-1, carrying implications for the design of CCR5-targeted pre-exposure prophylaxis.
Limits
Evidence is restricted to anecdotal case reports of an extremely rare phenotype. The abstract provides no specific patient counts, clinical course measurements, or statistical comparisons.