Study of the Association of the Entpd1 Gene Polymorphism With Viral Load Response and the Cd4+/Cd8+ T Lymphocyte Ratio in People Living With Hiv Under Treatment

The HIV virus is responsible for one of the main sexually transmitted infections worldwide and, to date, remains incurable. However, treatment with high-performance antiretroviral drugs has enabled clinical stability and longevity, reinforcing the importance of ensuring healthy aging. Studies show that in chronic infection, continuous exposure to viral antigens and increasing age lead to immune exhaustion, in which the expression of the CD39 protein, encoded by the ENTPD1 gene, is associated with worse outcomes in people living with HIV (PLHIV) and is a probable marker of immunosenescence. In this context, research on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ENTPD1 gene seeks to better understand CD39 expression and its effects on immune aging in PLHIV. Therefore, this study aimed to verify the existence of an association between ENTPD1 gene SNPs, the CD4+/CD8+ T-cell ratio, and HIV-RNA detection by PCR over a two-year follow-up period in PLHIV under treatment. Peripheral blood samples were collected for serum viral load quantification and SNP detection using real-time PCR with the TaqMan system, as well as lymphocyte counts by flow cytometry. Among 65 patients selected, 44 were undetectable and 22 had a CD4/CD8 ratio ≥ 1. Patients with better clinical response (lower viral load and higher CD4+ T-cell count) showed higher frequency of the variant C allele in ENTPD1 , which is associated with lower expression of CD39. Thus, we conclude that the presence of this variant allele appears to be a marker of better virological treatment response, since the ectoenzyme CD39 is considered a marker of immune exhaustion. Further studies are needed to confirm the relationship between this genetic marker and viral control.