Rapid progressing allele HLA-B35 Px restricted anti-HIV-1 CD8+ T cells recognize vestigial CTL epitopes.
The HLA-B*35-Px allele has been associated with rapid disease progression in HIV-1 infection, in contrast to the HLA-B*35-Py allele.



Immune responses to two HLA-B*35 restricted HIV-1 specific CTL epitopes and their variants were followed longitudinally during early HIV-1 infection in 16 HLA-B*35+ individuals. Subjects expressing HLA-B*35-Px alleles showed no difference in response to the consensus epitopes compared to individuals with HLA-B*35-Py alleles. Surprisingly, all the HLA-B*35-Px+ individuals responded to epitope-variants even in the absence of a consensus response. Sequencing of the viral population revealed no evidence of variant virus in any of the individuals.



This demonstrates a novel phenomenon that distinguishes individuals with the HLA-B*35-Px rapid progressing allele and those with the HLA-B*35-Py slower progressing allele.
Willberg
Christian B
CB
Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America.
Garrison
Keith E
KE
Jones
R Brad
RB
Meiklejohn
Duncan A
DA
Spotts
Gerald
G
Liegler
Teri J
TJ
Ostrowski
Mario A
MA
Karlsson
Annika C
AC
Hecht
Frederick M
FM
Nixon
Douglas F
DF
D000483:Alleles; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D015797:HLA-B35 Antigen / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D037182:T-Cell Antigen Receptor Specificity; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D019562:Viral Load
D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D015797:HLA-B35 Antigen