Higher risk of cytomegalovirus reactivation in human immunodeficiency virus–1–infected patients homozygous for MICA5.1

Infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV) induces surface expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)–class-I–chain–related A (MICA), a ligand for NKG2D. This leads to improved recognition and elimination of infected cells by natural killer (NK) as well as CD8+ T cells. The MICA5.1 allele codes for a truncated protein. This study was performed to test whether impaired expression of a functional MICA protein would influence the susceptibility to severe CMV reactivation in immunocompromised individuals. In this study, the frequency of MICA5.1 was assessed by polymerase chain reaction in 230 Caucasian human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–1–infected patients and in 219 healthy controls. Patients co-infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and GB virus–C served as controls. MICA5.1 allele was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction. Association of MICA5.1 homozygosity and risk of CMV reactivation was calculated by Pearson χ2 test. Comparison of patients with and without a history of CMV disease manifestation revealed that homozygous MICA5.1 genotype was present in a significantly higher frequency in patients with CMV reactivation (33%) than in those without (16%; p = 0.032; odds ratio = 0.330). The percentage was similar in HIV-1–infected patients and healthy controls. Furthermore, there was no difference in the frequency of MICA5.1 with respect to infection with HCV and GB virus–C. Our study provides the first in vivo demonstration of an association between homozygous MICA5.1 genotype and susceptibility to CMV reactivation in immunocompromised individuals.