title: Antigen-specific CD4+ T cells recognize epitopes of protective antigen following vaccination with an anthrax vaccine.
abstract: Detection of antigen-specific CD4+ T cells is facilitated by the use of fluorescently labeled soluble peptide-major histocompatibility complex (MHC) multimers which mirror the antigen specificity of T-cell receptor recognition. We have used soluble peptide-MHC class II tetramers containing peptides from the protective antigen (PA) of Bacillus anthracis to detect circulating T cells in peripheral blood of subjects vaccinated with an anthrax vaccine. PA-specific HLA class II-restricted T lymphocytes were isolated which displayed both TH1- and TH2-like characteristics, indicating heterogeneity of the lymphocyte lineage within the CD4+ response. Presentation of antigen to these T-cell clones by HLA-matched antigen-presenting cells exposed to the intact PA protein confirmed that the identified epitopes are indeed naturally processed by the human immune system. Specific tetramer-derived T-cell profiling may be useful for monitoring helper CD4+ T-cell responses to anthrax vaccination.
authors.affiliation: Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, 1201 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101, USA.
authors.forename: Elsa M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Laughlin
authors.forename: Joseph D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Eddie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: Dimitri
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fillos
authors.forename: Chris C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Ibegbu
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Mittler
authors.forename: Rama
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Akondy
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kwok
authors.forename: Rafi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nepom
mesh_terms: D022122:Anthrax Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000276:immunology*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000276:immunology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D022122:Anthrax Vaccines; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D016207:Cytokines; D000939:Epitopes; C030325:anthrax toxin