We found a significant decrease in the expression of the HIV co-receptor CCR5 in the SCD patients vs. controls (mean MFI 349.0 vs. 405.4 respectively, p<0.05; Fig 1A) but no difference in the expression of the other main HIV co-receptor, CXCR4, between the two groups (median MFI of 1340.9 vs. 1457.2; Fig 1A). Here, CXCR4 is linked to Schnyder corneal dystrophy.