title: Human T cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) type-1-specific CD8+ T cells: frequency and immunodominance hierarchy.
abstract: Human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) causes HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). We used interferon- gamma enzyme-linked immunospot assays with overlapping peptides spanning the entire HTLV-1 proteome to test whether the HTLV-1-specific CD8(+) T cells differed significantly in frequency or immunodominance hierarchy between patients with HAM/TSP and asymptomatic carriers and whether the frequency correlated with provirus load. Tax was the immunodominant target antigen. There was no significant qualitative or quantitative difference in the HTLV-1-specific CD8(+) T cell response between the 2 groups. Virus-specific CD8(+) T cell frequency alone does not indicate the effectiveness of the cytotoxic T lymphocyte response in controlling provirus load at equilibrium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Imperial College St. Mary's Campus, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Peter K C
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Goon
authors.forename: Alix
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Biancardi
authors.forename: Noam
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fast
authors.forename: Tadahiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Igakura
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hanon
authors.forename: Angelina J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Mosley
authors.forename: Becca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Asquith
authors.forename: Keith G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Gould
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: Graham P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Charles R M
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Bangham
mesh_terms: D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002353:Carrier State / Q000276:immunology*; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000276:immunology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D010455:Peptides; D007371:Interferon-gamma