title: IL-15 increases the frequency of effector memory CD8+ T cells in rhesus monkeys immunized with HIV vaccine.
abstract: Several studies have suggested that interleukin (IL)-15 is a promising adjuvant that promotes cellular immunity when administered with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine. Here we evaluated the effect of IL-15 plasmid on HIV-specific immune responses, especially cellular immunity, in eight rhesus monkeys. These monkeys were immunized three times with HIV DNA vaccine with or without IL-15 plasmid and boosted with recombinant Tiantan strain vaccinia virus-based HIV vaccine (rTV) 22 weeks after the first immunization. Although we did not detect any significant differences in the HIV-specific CD8(+) T-cell response between monkeys with IL-15 coimmunization and monkeys with HIV vaccine alone, our results showed that the frequency of effector CD8(+) memory T cells in the peripheral blood was significantly higher in monkeys with IL-15 coimmunization than those with HIV vaccine alone at almost all of the time points examined. Furthermore, the titers of anti-HIV antibodies were higher in Group T than those in Group C after rTV boosting. These findings in rhesus monkeys suggest that IL-15 may be useful as a cytokine adjuvant for HIV vaccine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Shirui
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiangrong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Yingying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Yanling
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Lianxian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ruan
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D056724:Immunity, Humoral / Q000276:immunology; D007114:Immunization; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000276:immunology*; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000276:immunology*; D008253:Macaca mulatta / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D017186:Titrimetry; D054299:env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D019409:Interleukin-15; D054299:env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus