Screening for HIV-specific T-cell responses using overlapping 15-mer peptide pools or optimized epitopes.
The IFN-y enzyme-linked immunospot (ELI-Spot) assay is often used to map HIV-specific CD8 T-cell responses. We compared overlapping 15-mer pools with optimized CD8 epitopes to screen ELISpot responses in HIV-infected individuals. The 15-mer pools detected responses to previously undefined epitopes, but often missed low-level responses to predefined epitopes, particularly when the epitope was central in the 15-mer, rather than at the N-terminus or C-terminus. These factors should be considered in the monitoring of HIV vaccine trials.
Beattie
Tara
T
MRC Human Immunology Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Kaul
Rupert
R
Rostron
Tim
T
Dong
Tao
T
Easterbrook
Philippa
P
Jaoko
Walter
W
Kimani
Joshua
J
Plummer
Francis
F
McMichael
Andrew
A
Rowland-Jones
Sarah
S
D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000939:Epitopes; D015750:Genes, gag; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma
D000939:Epitopes; D007371:Interferon-gamma