title: Robust HIV type 2 cellular immune response measured by a modified anthrax toxin-based enzyme-linked immunospot assay.
abstract: Evaluation of immune mechanisms responsible for control of viral replication is critical to understanding HIV-2 attenuated biological characteristics in pathogenesis and transmission. Evaluation of the cellular immune response is often based on labor-intensive techniques that limit the scope of most studies performed. A simple and rapid anthrax toxin-based ELISPOT method to assess HIV-2 cellular immune response was developed. The modified anthrax toxin-based antigen presentation process performed better than a recombinant vaccinia system and the ELISPOT method significantly enhanced the ease and simplicity of the assay. Using this method, a robust HIV-2 cellular immune response directed toward the p26 core protein was exhibited in 21 of 24 (87.5%) infected women, and all 8 seronegative subjects were negative in both assays. Cellular immune responses were associated with low HIV-2 viral load. This simple and rapid modified anthrax toxin-based ELISPOT method allowed us to demonstrate, strong cellular immune responses that may be critical determinants in the HIV-2 attenuated phenotype.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Sarr
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Sankalé
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Eisen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Popper
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mboup
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Kanki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cao
mesh_terms: D017951:Antigen Presentation / Q000276:immunology; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000032:analysis*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000276:immunology; D015488:HIV Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear; D015166:Monitoring, Immunologic / Q000379:methods; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology*; D019562:Viral Load; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D015683:Gene Products, gag; D015488:HIV Antigens; D012367:RNA, Viral; C030325:anthrax toxin; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; C065558:gag protein p26, Human immunodeficiency virus