Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-specific effector CD8 T cell activity in patients with primary HIV infection.
The interferon-gamma ELISPOT assay was used to assess and compare the magnitude and breadth of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-specific CD8 T cell responses in treatment-naive subjects during the first year of HIV primary infection and during the chronic phase of infection. Twenty-five subjects tested within a year of exposure to HIV resulting in seroconversion and 20 subjects with chronic infection were screened for HIV peptide-specific activity by stimulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells with a panel of 5-21 HLA class I-restricted HIV peptides (mean, 11.2 +/- 3.5 HIV peptides). There was a significant correlation between the magnitude and breadth of HIV-specific effector responses and time elapsed from exposure (r=0.63 for magnitude vs. time and r=0.64 for breadth vs. time; P<.02, paired t test). Maximal breadth of the HIV gene product reactivity was achieved within 2 months of exposure for Nef-specific responses and by 4 months of exposure for responses directed to Env, Gag, and reverse transcriptase.
Alter
Galit
G
McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. galter@po-box.mcgill.ca
Merchant
Alefia
A
Tsoukas
Christos M
CM
Rouleau
Danielle
D
LeBlanc
Roger P
RP
Côté
Pierre
P
Baril
Jean-Guy
JG
Thomas
Réjean
R
Nguyen
Vinh-Kim
VK
Sékaly
Rafik-Pierre
RP
Routy
Jean-Pierre
JP
Bernard
Nicole F
NF
D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006678:HIV / Q000276:immunology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data
D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D015234:HLA-A Antigens