Human T cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) type-1-specific CD8+ T cells: frequency and immunodominance hierarchy.
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.
Goon
Peter K C
PK
Department of Immunology, Imperial College St. Mary's Campus, London, United Kingdom.
Biancardi
Alix
A
Fast
Noam
N
Igakura
Tadahiko
T
Hanon
Emmanuel
E
Mosley
Angelina J
AJ
Asquith
Becca
B
Gould
Keith G
KG
Marshall
Sara
S
Taylor
Graham P
GP
Bangham
Charles R M
CR
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
D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D010455:Peptides; D007371:Interferon-gamma