Dynamic correlation between CTL response and viral load in primary human immunodeficiency virus-1 infected Koreans.
BACKGROUND
HIV-1 specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) have an important role as antiviral effector cells for controlling HIV-1 infection.


METHODS
To investigate CTL response during the early stage of HIV infection, we measured immunity-related factors including CD4+ T cell counts, CD8+ T cell counts, HIV-1 RNA viral loads and IFN-γ secretion according to CTL response in 78 selected primary HIV-1-infected Koreans.


RESULTS
The CTL response was strongly induced by HIV-1 specific Gag and Nef peptides (p = 0.016) compared with induction by Tat or Env peptides. These results suggest that the major antiviral factors inducing strong HIV-specific CTL responses are associated with the Gag and Nef viral regions in primary HIV-1 infected Koreans. The relationship between viral load and CTL response showed varying correlations with time following HIV infection. CTL response was inversely correlated with viral loads at preseroconversion stage I (r = -0.224 to -0.33) and changed to a positive correlation at the preseroconversion stage II (r = 0.132 to 0.854). Finally, it changed to an inverse correlation again after seroconversion until a viral set point was established on serological profiling (r = -0.195 to -0.407).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings demonstrate a dynamic correlation between viral load and subsequent CTL responses during early HIV infection.
Kim
Gab Jung
GJ
Division of AIDS, Center for Immunology and Pathology, Korea National Institute of Health, Seoul, Korea.
Lee
Hak Sung
HS
Hong
Kee-Jong
KJ
Kim
Sung Soon
SS
D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D019562:Viral Load
D012367:RNA, Viral; D007371:Interferon-gamma