AUTHOR=Queiroz Maria Alice Freitas , Amoras Ednelza da Silva Graça , Moura Tuane Carolina Ferreira , da Costa Carlos Araújo , Sousa Maisa Silva de , Lima Sandra Souza , Ishak Ricardo , Vallinoto Antonio Carlos Rosário 

TITLE=The SAMHD1 rs6029941 (A/G) Polymorphism Seems to Influence the HTLV-1 Proviral Load and IFN-Alpha Levels

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2020.00246

DOI=10.3389/fcimb.2020.00246

ISSN=2235-2988

ABSTRACT=<p>SAMHD1, a host dNTPase, acts as a retroviral restriction factor by degrading the pool of nucleotides available for the initial reverse transcription of retroviruses, including HTLV-1. Polymorphisms in the <italic>SAMDH1</italic> gene may alter the enzymatic expression and influence the course of infection by the virus. The present study investigated the effect of polymorphisms on HTLV-1 infection susceptibility and on progression to disease in 108 individuals infected by HTLV-1 (47 symptomatic and 61 asymptomatic) and 100 individuals in a control group. <italic>SAMHD1</italic> rs6029941 (G/A) genotyping and HTLV-1 proviral load measurements were performed using real-time PCR and plasma IFN-α was measured by ELISA. Polymorphism frequency was not associated with HTLV-1 infection susceptibility or with the presence of symptoms. The proviral load was significantly higher in symptomatic individuals with the G allele (<italic>p</italic> = 0.0143), which presented lower levels of IFN-α (<italic>p</italic> = 0.0383). <italic>SAMHD1</italic> polymorphism is associated with increased proviral load and reduced levels of IFN-α in symptomatic patients, and may be a factor that contributes to the appearance of disease symptoms.</p>