Quantitation of HIV-1-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes and plasma load of viral RNA.
Although cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are thought to be involved in the control of human immunodeficiency virus-type 1 (HIV-1) infection, it has not been possible to demonstrate a direct relation between CTL activity and plasma RNA viral load. Human leukocyte antigen-peptide tetrameric complexes offer a specific means to directly quantitate circulating CTLs ex vivo. With the use of the tetrameric complexes, a significant inverse correlation was observed between HIV-specific CTL frequency and plasma RNA viral load. In contrast, no significant association was detected between the clearance rate of productively infected cells and frequency of HIV-specific CTLs. These data are consistent with a significant role for HIV-specific CTLs in the control of HIV infection and suggest a considerable cytopathic effect of the virus in vivo.
Ogg
G S
GS
Institute of Molecular Medicine, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK.
Jin
X
X
Bonhoeffer
S
S
Dunbar
P R
PR
Nowak
M A
MA
Monard
S
S
Segal
J P
JP
Cao
Y
Y
Rowland-Jones
S L
SL
Cerundolo
V
V
Hurley
A
A
Markowitz
M
M
Ho
D D
DD
Nixon
D F
DF
McMichael
A J
AJ
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015683:Gene Products, gag; D015684:Gene Products, pol; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D006801:Humans; D018655:Lymphocyte Count / Q000379:methods*; D009842:Oligopeptides; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D019562:Viral Load; D014766:Viremia
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D004396:Coloring Agents; D015683:Gene Products, gag; D015684:Gene Products, pol; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D009842:Oligopeptides; D012367:RNA, Viral