title: Proliferative capacity of epitope-specific CD8 T-cell responses is inversely related to viral load in chronic human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection.
abstract: The relationship between the function of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-specific CD8 T-cell responses and viral load has not been defined. In this study, we used a panel of major histocompatibility complex class I tetramers to examine responses to frequently targeted CD8 T-cell epitopes in a large cohort of antiretroviral-therapy-naïve HIV type 1 clade C virus-infected persons in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. In terms of effector functions of proliferation, cytokine production, and degranulation, only proliferation showed a significant correlation with viral load. This robust inverse relationship provides an important functional correlate of viral control relevant to both vaccine design and evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Nuffield Department of Medicine, The Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3SY, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Cheryl L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Day
authors.forename: Photini
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kiepiela
authors.forename: Alasdair J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Leslie
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van der Stok
authors.forename: Kriebashne
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.forename: Nasreen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ismail
authors.forename: Isobella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Honeyborne
authors.forename: Hayley
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.forename: Hoosen M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Coovadia
authors.forename: Philip J R
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Goulder
authors.forename: Bruce D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Klenerman
mesh_terms: D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D015488:HIV Antigens / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013019:South Africa; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D015488:HIV Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D007376:Interleukin-2; D007371:Interferon-gamma