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. 2022 Aug 15:117:e210194.
doi: 10.1590/0074-02760210194. eCollection 2022.

Lack of association of the KIR and HLA class I ligands with ZIKV infection in south and southeast of Brazil

Laise Nayana Sala Elpidio  1 , Amarilis Giaretta de Moraes  1 , Ieda Bernadete Volkweis Langer  2 , Greicy Cezar do Amaral  3 , Maria Luiza Moretti  4 , Márcia Teixeira Garcia  5 , Rodrigo Angerami  6 , José Luiz Proenca-Modena  7 , Karina Bispo-Dos-Santos  7 , Matheus Cavalheiro Martini  7 , Pierina Lorencini Parise  7 , Christiane Maria Ayo  8 , Luiz Carlos de Mattos  8 , Cinara Cássia Brandão  8 , Maurício Lacerda Nogueira  9 , Denise Cristina Mós Vaz Oliani  10 , Lígia Cosentino Junqueira Franco Spegiorin  10 , Quirino Alves de Lima Neto  1   11 , Jeane Eliete Laguila Visentainer  1   11
Affiliations

Lack of association of the KIR and HLA class I ligands with ZIKV infection in south and southeast of Brazil

Laise Nayana Sala Elpidio et al. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. .

Abstract

Background: Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging arbovirus associated with foetal malformations and neurological complications. The infection is usually associated with mild symptoms. The comparison between the allelic frequency of polymorphic genes in symptomatic infected individuals in the population can clarify the pathogenic mechanisms of ZIKV. During ZIKV infection, cytokines are produced and natural killer (NK) cells are recruited, whose activation depends on signaling pathways activated by specific receptors, such as killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR). These molecules interact with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I ligands and are encoded by polymorphic genes.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of allelic variants of the genes encoding the KIR receptors and their HLA class I ligands in 139 symptomatic ZIKV-patients and 170 controls negative for the virus, and to evaluate the role of these variants for ZIKV susceptibility.

Methods: KIR and HLA class I genes were genotyped using the polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific oligonucleotide (PCR-SSO) technique.

Findings: No significant differences in the frequency distribution of KIRs and KIR-HLA in patients compared to controls were observed.

Main conclusions: KIR and its HLA ligands might play a minor role in ZIKV infection in the south and southeast Brazilian individuals.

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