KIR2DL2 in HCV infection: KIR2DL2 enhances the protective effect of HLA-B*57 on HCV status (spontaneous clearance v chronic infection) and, independently, on HCV viral load.

In the HCV status models an odds ratio (OR)1 indicates a detrimental effect (increased odds of chronic infection). In the viral load models the dependent variable was log10[viral load]. Cohorts were analysed separately as viral load was measured using different assays. Two cohorts (MHCS and ALIVE) had sufficient numbers of individuals with measurements of all variables for this analysis. A difference in VL0 indicates a detrimental effect (increased vl with the HLA allele). All models included all variables which can act as confounders (see Methods). The impact on viral burden was considered within chronic carriers and so the observation of an impact on viral burden is independent of the observation of an impact on status. The combined p-values of the difference in VL for the two cohorts are pcomb = 0.00003 in KIR2DL2+ and pcomb = 0.66 in KIR2DL2-.