Consistent subtype-specific anti-HIV type 1 T lymphocyte responses in Indian subjects recently infected with HIV type 1.
Anti-HIV-1-specific T cell responses in early HIV-1 infection have been found to be important in deciding the course of disease progression. But there are few data concerning nonsubtype B HIV infection. HIV-1 subtype C is the most prevalent subtype in India. HIV-1 Gag-specific T cell responses in 12 Indian subjects with recent HIV-1 infection were characterized by an ELISpot assay at two consecutive visits and their correlation with plasma viral load and CD4(+) T lymphocyte counts was studied. Ten of the 12 subjects demonstrated T cell responses to either one or both Gag B and C peptides, on at least one visit. Five of 10 responders showed a consistent response (response at both visits): 4 exhibited a Gag C-specific consistent response and 1 showed a consistent response to Gag B. The remaining five patients, showing response at only one of the two visits, were considered inconsistent responders. None of the individuals showed a consistent response to both B and C Gag peptides. Marginally significant correlation was observed between consistency of the response and lower plasma viral load (p = 0.062). The subtype-specific Gag C response was also found to be correlated with lower viral load as compared with the response to Gag B (r = -0.336, p = 0.054 for subtype C and r = -0.234, p = 0.13 for subtype B). The data suggest that the patients exhibiting consistent subtype-specific responses to HIV-1 Gag might have better control of viral replication in early HIV infection.
Thakar
Madhuri R
MR
National AIDS Research Institute, Pune 411026, India. hivnet@vsnl.com
Patke
Deepa
D
Lakhashe
Samir K
SK
Bhonge
Leena
L
Kulkarni
Sangeeta V
SV
Tripathy
Srikanth P
SP
Gupte
Nikhil
N
Brookmeyer
Ronald
R
Quinn
Thomas C
TC
Paranjape
Ramesh S
RS
Bollinger
Robert C
RC
D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000276:immunology*; D015750:Genes, gag / Q000235:genetics; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification* / Q000276:immunology*; D020180:Heteroduplex Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors
D015683:Gene Products, gag; D012367:RNA, Viral