  The minimum description length (MDL) principle states that the best model to
account for some data minimizes the sum of the lengths, in bits, of the
descriptions of the model and the residual error. The description length is
thus a criterion for model selection. Description-length analysis of HLA
alleles from the Chicago MACS cohort enables classification of alleles
associated with plasma HIV RNA, an indicator of infection progression.
Progression variation is most strongly associated with HLA-B. Individuals
without B58s supertype alleles average viral RNA levels 3.6-fold greater than
individuals with them.
