Is there a relationship between genetics and HIV resistance?

Is there a relationship between genetics and HIV resistance?
Answer: Some people are, in fact, genetically at greater risk of HIV infection than others.

The first genetic mutation associated with HIV susceptibility was identified in the mid 1990s. Known as the CCR5-Delta32 mutation, it seems to confer strong resistance to infection by HIV. This gene mutation is found most commonly in certain European populations, possibly because it was also associated with resistance to other diseases such as smallpox or the Bubonic Plague.

In early 2009, a paper was published announcing that another genetic mutation may also confer some level of resistance to HIV. This mutation affects the level of expression of a protein known as Pk. Pk is found on the surface of several types of blood cells, including a wide range of cells that are susceptible to HIV infection. This small study found that cells with high levels of Pk were significantly harder to infect with HIV than cells with no Pk. The same scientists have also published a study showing that individuals with a condition (Fabry's disease) that increases their levels of Pk seem to be resistant to one type of HIV।