title: Significance of the detection of HIV-1 gag- and/or pol-CD8/A2 T-lymphocytes in HIV-patients.
abstract: Cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL) play an important role in the immune system's defense against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The functional status of CTL closely relates to the progression of HIV disease. We have validated the characteristics of the assay for HIV-1 gag- and pol-specific-CD8/HLA-A2 T-cells from peripheral blood by flow cytometry. Sixty-nine healthy individuals and 38 HIV-patients with HLA-A2 antigen-positive subjects were included in the study. Neither HIV-1 gag- nor pol-specific-CD8/HLA-A2 T-cells were determined in these healthy subjects. HIV-1 gag- and pol-specific-CD8/HLA-A2 T-cells could be detected in HIV-patients. The frequency of specific CTL was 58% (22/38) in the patient group. There was a significantly inverse correlation (p < 0.05) between HIV-1 gag- and pol-specific-CD8/HLA-A2 T-cells and HIV plasma viremia in the patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The HIV-1 gag- or pol-specific-CD8/HLA-A2 T-cells assay is sensitive and specific, being able to detect at the single T-cell level. This assay may provide a versatile tool for structured HIV treatment and for monitoring vaccination efficacy.
authors.affiliation: RDL Reference Laboratory, 10755 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90034, USA. rwu@rdlinc.com
authors.forename: Ruihua
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Garrick C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Owen
authors.forename: Tianmin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Guo-Qiu
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Robert I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Morris
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000276:immunology*; D015684:Gene Products, pol / Q000276:immunology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015683:Gene Products, gag; D015684:Gene Products, pol; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen