title: Comprehensive analysis of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-specific gamma interferon-secreting CD8+ T cells in primary HIV-1 infection.
abstract: Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-specific CD8(+) T cells provide an important defense in controlling HIV-1 replication, particularly following acquisition of infection. To delineate the breadth and potency of these responses in patients upon initial presentation and before treatment, we determined the fine specificities and frequencies of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma)-secreting CD8(+) T cells recognizing all HIV-1 proteins in patients with primary infection. In these subjects, the earliest detected responses were directed predominantly against Nef, Tat, Vpr, and Env. Tat- and Vpr-specific CD8(+) T cells accounted for the greatest frequencies of mean IFN-gamma spot-forming cells (SFC). Nef-specific responses (10 of 21) were more commonly detected. A mean of 2.3 epitopes were recognized with various avidities per subject, and the number increased with the duration of infection (R = 0.47, P = 0.031). The mean frequency of CD8(+) T cells (985 SFC/10(6) peripheral blood mononuclear cells) correlated with the number of epitopes recognized (R = 0.84, P < 0.0001) and the number of HLA-restricting alleles (R = 0.79, P < 0.0001). Neither the total SFC frequencies nor the number of epitopes recognized correlated with the concurrent plasma viral load. Seventeen novel epitopes were identified, four of which were restricted to HLA alleles (A23 and B72) that are common among African descendents. Thus, primary HIV-1 infection induces strong CD8(+)-T-cell immunity whose specificities broaden over time, but their frequencies and breadth do not correlate with HIV-1 containment when examined concurrently. Many novel epitopes, particularly directed to Nef, Tat, and Env, and frequently with unique HLA restrictions, merit further consideration in vaccine design.
authors.affiliation: Program in Infectious Diseases, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA.
authors.forename: Jianhong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McNevin
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Holte
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fink
authors.forename: Lawrence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Corey
authors.forename: M Juliana
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: McElrath
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019562:Viral Load; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D014764:Viral Proteins; D007371:Interferon-gamma