Detection of HIV-1-specific CTLs in the semen of HIV-infected individuals.
CTLs play an important role in controlling cell-associated HIV. Since the majority of HIV infections are acquired through sexual transmission, we investigated whether antiviral CTLs were present in the male urogenital tract using semen as a source of T cells. We were able to establish anti-HIV cytolytic lines in five of five HIV-infected men with CD4 counts of >500/microl, although cloning efficiencies were lower than with peripheral blood-derived T cells. CTLs generated from the semen of three men were analyzed in detail and showed a broadly active response, recognizing gag, env, and pol proteins. Detailed analysis of two gag-specific clones from one of the individuals demonstrated HLA class I restriction and recognition of the same p24 epitope (EQASQEVKNWMT). In summary, our results demonstrate the presence of a broad CTL response to HIV in the urogenital tract and provide a rationale for further studies of local enhancement of genital mucosal responses by anti-HIV immunization.
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. aquayle@rics.bwh.harvard.edu
A J
AJ
Quayle
W M
WM
Coston
A K
AK
Trocha
S A
SA
Kalams
K H
KH
Mayer
D J
DJ
Anderson
D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal; D008297:Male; D012661:Semen / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I