A polymorphism in the leptin gene promoter is associated with anemia in patients with HIV disease

• Published in: Blood 2011-11, Vol.118 (20), p.5401-5408
• Main Authors: Vanasse, Gary J., Jeong, Jee-Yeong, Tate, Janet, Bathulapalli, Harini, Anderson, Damon, Steen, Hanno, Fleming, Mark, Mattocks, Kristin, Telenti, Amalio, Fellay, Jacques, Justice, Amy C., Berliner, Nancy
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Anemia - genetics; Anemia - mortality; Anemia - virology; Anemias. Hemoglobinopathies; Anti-Retroviral Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Clinical Trials and Observations; Cohort Studies; Diseases of red blood cells; Female; Genetic Predisposition to Disease - epidemiology; Genetic Predisposition to Disease - genetics; Genetic Variation; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Hemoglobins - metabolism; HIV Infections - drug therapy; HIV Infections - genetics; HIV Infections - mortality; Human viral diseases; Humans; Immunobiology; Infectious diseases; Leptin - genetics; Linkage Disequilibrium; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide - genetics; Prevalence; Promoter Regions, Genetic - genetics; Red Cells, Iron, and Erythropoiesis; Veterans - statistics & numerical data; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids
• ISSN: 0006-4971; 1528-0020
• DOI: 10.1182/blood-2011-06-362194

To study factors associated with anemia and its effect on survival in HIV-infected persons treated with modern combined antiretroviral therapy (cART), we characterized the prevalence of anemia in the Veterans Aging Cohort Study (VACS) and used a candidate gene approach to identify proinflammatory gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with anemia in HIV disease. The study comprised 1597 HIV+ and 865 HIV− VACS subjects with DNA, blood, and annotated clinical data available for analysis. Anemia was defined according to World Health Organization criteria (hemoglobin < 13 g/dL and < 12 g/dL in men and women, respectively). The prevalence of anemia in HIV+ and HIV− subjects was 23.1% and 12.9%, respectively. Independent of HIV status, anemia was present in 23.4% and 8% in blacks and whites, respectively. Analysis of our candidate genes revealed that the leptin −2548 G/A SNP was associated with anemia in HIV+, but not HIV−, patients, with the AA and AG genotypes significantly predicting anemia (P < .003 and P < .039, respectively, logistic regression). This association was replicated in an independent cohort of HIV+ women. Our study provides novel insight into the association between genetic variability in the leptin gene and anemia in HIV+ individuals.