title: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-specific effector CD8 T cell activity in patients with primary HIV infection.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. galter@po-box.mcgill.ca
authors.forename: Galit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alter
authors.forename: Alefia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Merchant
authors.forename: Christos M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Tsoukas
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rouleau
authors.forename: Roger P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: LeBlanc
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Côté
authors.forename: Jean-Guy
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Baril
authors.forename: Réjean
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Vinh-Kim
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Rafik-Pierre
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Sékaly
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Routy
authors.forename: Nicole F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Bernard
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D015234:HLA-A Antigens