title: Use of synthetic peptides to identify measles nucleoprotein T-cell epitopes in vaccinated and naturally infected humans.
abstract: Recombinant measles nucleoprotein (N) and synthetic peptides spanning the length of the N-protein-coding region were used with a proliferation assay to identify human T-cell epitopes in vaccinated and naturally infected adults. A number of epitopes were mapped to specific regions of the measles virus N. The proliferative response of at least two donors was mediated by CD4(+) T cells in association with HLA DR antigens. Over 70% of all donors tested responded to peptides representing amino acids 271-290, 367-386, 400-420, and 483-502, suggesting that these peptides may be broadly recognized within an HLA diverse population. The most frequently recognized T-cell epitopes in both naturally infected and vaccinated donors were located in the genetically heterogeneous carboxy-terminal half of the N. Analysis of patterns of peptide reactivity among vaccinated and naturally infected subjects identified several regions of potential difference between these two groups. Peptides 221-240 and 237-256 were recognized among 100% of naturally infected donors but among only 37.5% of vaccinated donors and therefore may be of further interest in studies to investigate induction of lifelong versus transient immunity to measles. Use of chimeric molecules containing multiple well-characterized T- and B-cell epitopes or genetic alteration of attenuated vaccine virus to enhance critical T-cell responses may eventually lead to the development of a vaccine candidate that can more closely model the patterns of immune response elicited by wild-type virus.
authors.affiliation: Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Atlanta, Georgia, 30333, USA.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Hickman
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Rota
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Bellini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008457:Measles / Q000276:immunology*; D008458:Measles Vaccine; D009698:Nucleoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D006680:HLA Antigens; D008458:Measles Vaccine; D009698:Nucleoproteins; D010455:Peptides