title: Delayed-type hypersensitivity skin testing using third variable loop peptides identifies T lymphocyte epitopes in human immunodeficiency virus-infected persons.
abstract: Cellular immune responses to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, particularly in vivo responses, have been difficult to study in large patient cohorts because of technical impediments. By use of small peptide fragments of the HIV-1 gp120 third variable loop, the CD4 T lymphocyte epitopes of 2 HIV-infected persons were mapped using a cutaneous delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) assay. The in vivo DTH responses correlated with epitopes previously identified in vitro using CD4 T lymphocyte lines. The ability to determine CD4 T lymphocyte epitopes in large cohorts of patients using this simple in vivo technique would provide important diagnostic and prognostic data regarding effective immunoregulation of HIV-1. This technique should have broad applicability in HIV vaccine development and in the investigation of other immune-mediated human diseases.
authors.affiliation: Division of Retrovirology, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, and Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Rockville, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: K V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Sitz
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Loomis-Price
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ratto-Kim
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Kenner
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sau
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Eckels
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Redfield
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Birx
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018604:Epitope Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000276:immunology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012882:Skin Tests / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D015704:CD4 Antigens; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120