Isolation and characterization of human papillomavirus type 6-specific T cells infiltrating genital warts.
The potential role of T cells in the control of human papillomavirus type 6 (HPV-6) infections is an appealing premise, but their actual role has been sparsely investigated. Since HPV-6 infections are confined to the epithelium, such an investigation should focus on the T cells present at the site of infection (i.e., the warts). Therefore, we isolated wart-infiltrating lymphocytes (WIL) from patients with clinically diagnosed anogenital warts. These WIL were characterized by their phenotype and their specificity for E7 and L1 proteins of HPV-6. The phenotype of WIL varied drastically from patient to patient, as determined by their expression of CD4, CD8, T-cell receptor alpha/beta chain (TCR alpha beta), and TCR gamma delta. Despite this heterogeneity in phenotype, HPV-6 E7 and/or L1-specific WIL, as determined by lymphoproliferation, could be isolated from more than 75% of the patients studied. Among all L1 peptides recognized by WIL, peptides 311-330 and 411-430 were the most consistently detected, with seven of nine patients for whom L1 peptide reactivity was observed responding to at least one of them. Moreover, the HPV-6 epitopic peptides recognized by WIL differed to some extent from those recognized by peripheral T cells.
Hong
K
K
Department of Virology and Vaccine Development, Chiron Corporation, Emeryville, California 94608, USA.
Greer
C E
CE
Ketter
N
N
Van Nest
G
G
Paliard
X
X
D000328:Adult; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003218:Condylomata Acuminata / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000276:immunology*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D010641:Phenotype; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*
D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte