Antigen-specific CD4+ T cells recognize epitopes of protective antigen following vaccination with an anthrax vaccine.
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.
Laughlin
Elsa M
EM
Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, 1201 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101, USA.
Miller
Joseph D
JD
James
Eddie
E
Fillos
Dimitri
D
Ibegbu
Chris C
CC
Mittler
Robert S
RS
Akondy
Rama
R
Kwok
William
W
Ahmed
Rafi
R
Nepom
Gerald
G
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
D022122:Anthrax Vaccines; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D016207:Cytokines; D000939:Epitopes; C030325:anthrax toxin