High frequency of Gag- and envelope-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursors in children with vertically acquired human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection.
Circulating human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) are seen less frequently in unstimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from children with vertically acquired HIV infection than in PBMC from HIV-infected adults. HIV-1 Gag-, reverse transcriptase (RT)-, and envelope (Env)-specific cytotoxic activity was studied in PBMC from HIV-infected children. Only 9% of subjects had Gag- or RT-specific CTL in unstimulated PBMC. However, in PBMC studied after CD3 stimulation, Gag- and Env-specific CTL were found in PBMC from 91% and 78% of HIV-infected children, respectively. Limiting dilution analysis of precursor CTL (pCTL) frequencies in PBMC from children > 12 months old demonstrated Gag- and Env-specific pCTL frequencies from 0.5 to 6.3/10,000 PBMC and from 0.66 to 33.0/10,000 PBMC, respectively. Thus, children with vertically acquired HIV infection have high frequencies of HIV-specific pCTL.
McFarland
E J
EJ
Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Children's Hospital, Denver 80262.
Harding
P A
PA
Luckey
D
D
Conway
B
B
Young
R K
RK
Kuritzkes
D R
DR
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology* / Q000635:transmission*; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000276:immunology*; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000276:immunology*; D015751:Genes, pol; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*
D015703:Antigens, CD; D004279:DNA, Viral; D015686:Gene Products, env; D015683:Gene Products, gag