Massive CD8 T cell response to primary HIV infection in the setting of severe clinical presentation.
Acute HIV-1 infection causes a rapid total body depletion of CD4(+) T cells in most individuals and HIV-1-specific CD8(+) T cell expansion in response to viral replication. A numerically high CD8 T cell response may indicate limited T cell repertoire against HIV and rapid progression. We present a detailed evaluation of an acutely infected individual with a strong HIV-1-specific CD8 T cell response targeting multiple epitopes demonstrating that the upper limit of CD8 expansion in this setting may be much higher than previously reported and was likely driven by the narrow HIV-specific response.
Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 28374, USA. garnoczy@firsthealth.org
Gretchen S
GS
Arnoczy
Guido
G
Ferrari
Nilu
N
Goonetilleke
Tumena
T
Corrah
Hui
H
Li
Joann
J
Kuruc
John L
JL
Schmitz
Kara
K
McGee
Charles
C
Hicks
Joseph J
JJ
Eron
D000328:Adult; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male