title: Early HIV-1 envelope-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses in vertically infected infants.
abstract: High frequencies of cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursors (CTLp) recognizing HIV-1 laboratory strain gene products have been detected in adults within weeks of primary infection. In contrast, HIV-1-specific CTLp are uncommonly detected in infants younger than 6 mo. To address the hypothesis that the use of target cells expressing laboratory strain env gene products might limit the detection of HIV-1 env-specific CTLp in early infancy, recombinant vaccinia vectors (vv) expressing HIV-1 env genes from early isolates of four vertically infected infants were generated. The frequencies of CTLp recognizing target cells infected with vv-expressing env gene products from early isolates and HIV-1 IIIB were serially measured using limiting dilution followed by in vitro stimulation with mAb to CD3. In one infant, the detection of early isolate env-specific CTLp preceded the detection of IIIB-specific CTLp. CTLp recognizing HIV-1 IIIB and infant isolate env were detected by 6 mo of age in two infants. In a fourth infant, HIV-1 IIIB env and early isolate env-specific CTLp were simultaneously detected at 12 mo of age. These results provide evidence that young infants can generate HIV-1-specific CTL responses and provide support for the concept of neonatal vaccination to prevent HIV-1 transmission. However, the early predominance of type-specific CTL detected in some young infants suggests that the use of vaccines based on laboratory strains of HIV-1 may not protect against vertical infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester 01605, USA.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Pikora
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Panicali
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Luzuriaga
mesh_terms: D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003429:Cross Reactions; D018450:Disease Progression; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015752:Genes, env; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000635:transmission*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015686:Gene Products, env