Abstract
Certain major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I alleles are associated with the control of human immunodeficiency virus and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) replication. We have designed sequence-specific primers for detection of the rhesus macaque MHC class I allele
Mamu-B
*
08
by PCR and screened a cohort of SIV-infected macaques for this allele. Analysis of 196 SIV
mac
239-infected Indian rhesus macaques revealed that
Mamu-B
*
08
was significantly overrepresented in elite controllers; 38% of elite controllers were
Mamu-B
*
08
positive compared to 3% of progressors (
P
= 0.00001).
Mamu-B
*
08
was also associated with a 7.34-fold decrease in chronic phase viremia (
P
= 0.002).
Mamu-B
*
08
-positive macaques may, therefore, provide a good model to understand the correlates of MHC class I allele-associated immune protection and viral containment in human elite controllers.
