title: Quantification of CD8+ T lymphocytes responsive to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) peptide antigens in HIV-infected patients and seronegative persons at high risk for recent HIV exposure.
abstract: The combination of a tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay and computer-assisted video image analysis was used to detect and quantitate in peripheral blood CD8+ T cells reactive with known human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) peptide antigens presented by HLA-A2 or HLA-A3. T lymphocyte responsiveness to at least one HIV peptide was found in 10 (83%) of 12 HIV-1-infected patients and in 5 (45%) of 11 persons who had no serologic and virologic signs of HIV infection but who were at high risk for recent sexual exposure to HIV-1. CD8+ T cells responding to HIV-1 peptides were observed in none of 11 HIV-seronegative donors without a history of HIV exposure. ELISPOT assays are relatively fast and easy to perform and appear to reliably detect T cell reactivity due to previous exposure to HIV. These findings support the use of the ELISPOT assay for monitoring T cell responsiveness to HIV peptides.
authors.affiliation: I. Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Herr
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Protzer
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Lohse
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gerken
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Meyer zum Büschenfelde
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wölfel
mesh_terms: D017951:Antigen Presentation / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D015488:HIV Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000276:immunology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase / Q000276:immunology*; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D015791:HLA-A3 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015488:HIV Antigens; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D015791:HLA-A3 Antigen; D010455:Peptides; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase