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Lopez-Gomez A, Pelaez-Prestel HF, Juarez I. Approaches to evaluate the specific immune responses to SARS-CoV-2. Vaccine 2023; 41:6434-6443. [PMID: 37770298 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.09.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has a huge impact on public health and global economy, meaning an enormous scientific, political, and social challenge. Studying how infection or vaccination triggers both cellular and humoral responses is essential to know the grade and length of protection generated in the population. Nowadays, scientists and authorities around the world are increasingly concerned about the arrival of new variants, which have a greater spread, due to the high mutation rate of this virus. The aim of this review is to summarize the different techniques available for the study of the immune responses after exposure or vaccination against SARS-CoV-2, showing their advantages and limitations, and proposing suitable combinations of different techniques to achieve extensive information in these studies. We wish that the information provided here will helps other scientists in their studies of the immune response against SARS-CoV-2 after vaccination with new vaccine candidates or infection with upcoming variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Lopez-Gomez
- Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and ENT, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Hector F Pelaez-Prestel
- Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and ENT, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Ignacio Juarez
- Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and ENT, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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2
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Gupta P, Rai A, Hans C, Husain M. An Observational Study of Genetic Diversity of HIV-1 vpu in Rapid Progressors in India. Curr HIV Res 2023; 21:99-108. [PMID: 36809950 DOI: 10.2174/1570162x21666230221152633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The genetic diversity in HIV-1 genes affects viral pathogenesis in HIV-1 positive patients. Accessory genes of HIV-1, including vpu, are reported to play a critical role in HIV pathogenesis and disease progression. Vpu has a crucial role in CD4 degradation and virus release. The sequence heterogeneity in the vpu gene may affect disease progression in patients, therefore, the current study was undertaken to identify the role of vpu in patients defined as rapid progressors. OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to identify the viral determinants present on vpu that may be important in disease progression in rapid progressors. METHODS Blood samples were collected from 13 rapid progressors. DNA was isolated from PBMCs and vpu was amplified using nested PCR. Both strands of the gene were sequenced using an automated DNA Sequencer. The characterization and analysis of vpu was done using various bioinformatics tools. RESULTS The analysis revealed that all sequences had intact ORF and sequence heterogeneity was present across all sequences and distributed all over the gene. The synonymous substitutions, however, were higher than nonsynonymous substitutions. The phylogenetic tree analysis showed an evolutionary relationship with previously published Indian subtype C sequences. Comparatively, the cytoplasmic tail(77 - 86) showed the highest degree of variability in these sequences as determined by Entropy- one tool. CONCLUSION The study showed that due to the robust nature of the protein, the biological activity of the protein was intact and sequence heterogeneity may promote disease progression in the study population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poonam Gupta
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Jamia Millia Islamia (Central University), 110 025, New Delhi, India
| | - Arvind Rai
- National Centre for Disease Control, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, 22 - Sham Nath Marg, 110 054, Delhi, India
| | - Charoo Hans
- Department of Microbiology, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, 110 001, New Delhi, India
| | - Mohammad Husain
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Jamia Millia Islamia (Central University), 110 025, New Delhi, India
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3
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Mechanism of Viral Suppression among HIV Elite Controllers and Long-Term Nonprogressors in Nigeria and South Africa. Viruses 2022; 14:v14061270. [PMID: 35746741 PMCID: PMC9228396 DOI: 10.3390/v14061270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
A subgroup among people living with HIV (PLHIV) experience viral suppression, sometimes to an undetectable level in the blood and/or are able to maintain a healthy CD4+ T-cell count without the influence of antiretroviral (ARV) therapy. One out of three hundred PLHIV fall into this category, and a large sample of this group can be found in areas with a high prevalence of HIV infection such as Nigeria and South Africa. Understanding the mechanism underpinning the nonprogressive phenotype in this subgroup may provide insights into the control of the global HIV epidemic. This work provides mechanisms of the elite control and nonprogressive phenotype among PLHIV in Nigeria and South Africa and identifies research gaps that will contribute to a better understanding on HIV controllers among PLHIV.
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Zhang H, He C, Jiang F, Cao S, Zhao B, Ding H, Dong T, Han X, Shang H. A longitudinal analysis of immune escapes from HLA-B*13-restricted T-cell responses at early stage of CRF01_AE subtype HIV-1 infection and implications for vaccine design. BMC Immunol 2022; 23:15. [PMID: 35366796 PMCID: PMC8976269 DOI: 10.1186/s12865-022-00491-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Identifying immunogens which can elicit effective T cell responses against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is important for developing a T-cell based vaccine. It has been reported that human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B*13-restricted T-cell responses contributed to HIV control in subtype B' and C infected individuals. However, the kinetics of B*13-restricted T-cell responses, viral evolution within epitopes, and the impact on disease progression in CRF01_AE subtype HIV-1-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) are not known. RESULTS Interferon-γ ELISPOT assays and deep sequencing of viral RNAs were done in 14 early HLA-B*13-positive CRF01_AE subtype HIV-1-infected MSM. We found that responses to RQEILDLWV (Nef106-114, RV9), GQMREPRGSDI (Gag226-236, GI11), GQDQWTYQI (Pol487-498, GI9), and VQNAQGQMV (Gag135-143, VV9) were dominant. A higher relative magnitude of Gag-specific T-cell responses, contributed to viral control, whereas Nef-specific T-cell responses were associated with rapid disease progression. GI11 (Gag) was conserved and strong GI11 (Gag)-specific T-cell responses showed cross-reactivity with a dominant variant, M228I, found in 3/12 patients; GI11 (Gag)-specific T-cell responses were positively associated with CD4 T-cell counts (R = 0.716, P = 0.046). Interestingly, the GI9 (Pol) epitope was also conserved, but GI9 (Pol)-specific T-cell responses did not influence disease progression (P > 0.05), while a D490G variant identified in one patient did not affect CD4 T-cell counts. All the other epitopes studied [VV9 (Gag), RQYDQILIEI (Pol113-122, RI10), HQSLSPRTL (Gag144-152, HL9), and RQANFLGRL (Gag429-437, RL9)] developed escape mutations within 1 year of infection, which may have contributed to overall disease progression. Intriguingly, we found early RV9 (Nef)-specific T-cell responses were associated with rapid disease progression, likely due to escape mutations. CONCLUSIONS Our study strongly suggested the inclusion of GI11 (Gag) and exclusion of RV9 (Nef) for T-cell-based vaccine design for B*13-positive CRF01_AE subtype HIV-1-infected MSM and high-risk individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhang
- grid.412636.40000 0004 1757 9485NHC Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology (China Medical University), National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, 155 Nanjing North Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110001 Liaoning Province China ,Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenyang, 110001 China ,Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, 110001 China ,grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XCollaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, 79 Qingchun Street, Hangzhou, 310003 China
| | - Chuan He
- grid.412636.40000 0004 1757 9485NHC Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology (China Medical University), National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, 155 Nanjing North Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110001 Liaoning Province China ,Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenyang, 110001 China ,Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, 110001 China ,grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XCollaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, 79 Qingchun Street, Hangzhou, 310003 China ,grid.412636.40000 0004 1757 9485Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001 China
| | - Fanming Jiang
- grid.412636.40000 0004 1757 9485NHC Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology (China Medical University), National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, 155 Nanjing North Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110001 Liaoning Province China ,Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenyang, 110001 China ,Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, 110001 China ,grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XCollaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, 79 Qingchun Street, Hangzhou, 310003 China ,grid.412636.40000 0004 1757 9485Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001 China
| | - Shuang Cao
- grid.412636.40000 0004 1757 9485NHC Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology (China Medical University), National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, 155 Nanjing North Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110001 Liaoning Province China ,Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenyang, 110001 China ,Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, 110001 China ,grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XCollaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, 79 Qingchun Street, Hangzhou, 310003 China ,grid.412449.e0000 0000 9678 1884Department of Laboratory Medicine, China Medical University Shengjing Hospital Nanhu Branch, Shenyang, 110001 China
| | - Bin Zhao
- grid.412636.40000 0004 1757 9485NHC Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology (China Medical University), National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, 155 Nanjing North Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110001 Liaoning Province China ,Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenyang, 110001 China ,Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, 110001 China ,grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XCollaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, 79 Qingchun Street, Hangzhou, 310003 China
| | - Haibo Ding
- grid.412636.40000 0004 1757 9485NHC Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology (China Medical University), National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, 155 Nanjing North Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110001 Liaoning Province China ,Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenyang, 110001 China ,Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, 110001 China ,grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XCollaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, 79 Qingchun Street, Hangzhou, 310003 China
| | - Tao Dong
- grid.4991.50000 0004 1936 8948Nuffield Department of Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Oxford Institute, Oxford University, Oxford, UK ,grid.4991.50000 0004 1936 8948Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
| | - Xiaoxu Han
- grid.412636.40000 0004 1757 9485NHC Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology (China Medical University), National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, 155 Nanjing North Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110001 Liaoning Province China ,Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenyang, 110001 China ,Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, 110001 China ,grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XCollaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, 79 Qingchun Street, Hangzhou, 310003 China
| | - Hong Shang
- grid.412636.40000 0004 1757 9485NHC Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology (China Medical University), National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, 155 Nanjing North Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110001 Liaoning Province China ,Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenyang, 110001 China ,Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, 110001 China ,grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XCollaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, 79 Qingchun Street, Hangzhou, 310003 China
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Svitek N, Taracha ELN, Saya R, Awino E, Nene V, Steinaa L. Analysis of the Cellular Immune Responses to Vaccines. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2465:283-301. [PMID: 35118627 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2168-4_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISpot), and cellular cytotoxicity assays are powerful tools for studying the cellular immune response toward intracellular pathogens and vaccines in livestock species. Lymphocytes from immunized animals can be purified using Ficoll-Paque density gradient centrifugation and evaluated for their antigen specificity or reactivity toward a vaccine. Here, we describe staining of bovine lymphocytes with peptide (p)-MHC class I tetramers and antibodies specific toward cellular activation markers for evaluation by multiparametric flow cytometry, as well as interferon (IFN)-γ ELISpot and cytotoxicity using chromium (51Cr) release assays. A small component on the use of immunoinformatics for fine-tuning the identification of a minimal CTL epitope is included, and a newly developed and simple assay to measure TCR avidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Svitek
- Animal and Human Health, International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Rosemary Saya
- Animal and Human Health, International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Elias Awino
- Animal and Human Health, International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Vish Nene
- Animal and Human Health, International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Lucilla Steinaa
- Animal and Human Health, International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya.
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Munusamy Ponnan S, Thiruvengadam K, Kathirvel S, Shankar J, Rajaraman A, Mathaiyan M, Dinesha TR, Poongulali S, Saravanan S, Murugavel KG, Swaminathan S, Tripathy SP, Neogi U, Velu V, Hanna LE. Elevated Numbers of HIV-Specific Poly-Functional CD8 + T Cells With Stem Cell-Like and Follicular Homing Phenotypes in HIV-Exposed Seronegative Individuals. Front Immunol 2021; 12:638144. [PMID: 33889151 PMCID: PMC8056154 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.638144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
HIV-specific CD8+ T cells are known to play a key role in viral control during acute and chronic HIV infection. Although many studies have demonstrated the importance of HIV-specific CD8+ T cells in viral control, its correlation with protection against HIV infection remains incompletely understood. To better understand the nature of the immune response that contributes to the early control of HIV infection, we analyzed the phenotype, distribution and function of anti-viral CD8+ T cells in a cohort of HIV-exposed seronegative (HESN) women, and compared them with healthy controls and HIV-infected individuals. Further, we evaluated the in vitro viral inhibition activity of CD8+ T cells against diverse HIV-1 strains. We found that the HESN group had significantly higher levels of CD8+ T cells that express T-stem cell-like (TSCM) and follicular homing (CXCR5+) phenotype with more effector like characteristics as compared to healthy controls. Further, we observed that the HESN population had a higher frequency of HIV-specific poly-functional CD8+ T cells with robust in vitro virus inhibiting capacity against different clades of HIV. Overall, our results demonstrate that the HESN population has elevated levels of HIV-specific poly-functional CD8+ T cells with robust virus inhibiting ability and express elevated levels of markers pertaining to TSCM and follicular homing phenotype. These results demonstrate that future vaccine and therapeutic strategies should focus on eliciting these critical CD8+ T cell subsets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sivasankaran Munusamy Ponnan
- National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (Indian Council of Medical Research), Chennai, India.,Centre for Infectious Disease Research, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, India
| | - Kannan Thiruvengadam
- National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (Indian Council of Medical Research), Chennai, India
| | - Sujitha Kathirvel
- National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (Indian Council of Medical Research), Chennai, India
| | - Janani Shankar
- National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (Indian Council of Medical Research), Chennai, India
| | - Akshaya Rajaraman
- National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (Indian Council of Medical Research), Chennai, India
| | - Manikannan Mathaiyan
- National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (Indian Council of Medical Research), Chennai, India
| | | | - Selvamuthu Poongulali
- Chennai Antiviral Research and Treatment Centre and Clinical Research Site (CART CRS), Infectious Diseases Medical Center, Voluntary Health Services (VHS), Chennai, India
| | | | | | - Soumya Swaminathan
- National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (Indian Council of Medical Research), Chennai, India
| | - Srikanth Prasad Tripathy
- National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (Indian Council of Medical Research), Chennai, India
| | - Ujjwal Neogi
- Division of Clinical Microbiology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vijayakumar Velu
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Luke Elizabeth Hanna
- National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (Indian Council of Medical Research), Chennai, India
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A Zigzag but Upward Way to Develop an HIV-1 Vaccine. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:vaccines8030511. [PMID: 32911701 PMCID: PMC7564621 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8030511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
After decades of its epidemic, the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is still rampant worldwide. An effective vaccine is considered to be the ultimate strategy to control and prevent the spread of HIV-1. To date, hundreds of clinical trials for HIV-1 vaccines have been tested. However, there is no HIV-1 vaccine available yet, mostly because the immune correlates of protection against HIV-1 infection are not fully understood. Currently, a variety of recombinant viruses-vectored HIV-1 vaccine candidates are extensively studied as promising strategies to elicit the appropriate immune response to control HIV-1 infection. In this review, we summarize the current findings on the immunological parameters to predict the protective efficacy of HIV-1 vaccines, and highlight the latest advances on HIV-1 vaccines based on viral vectors.
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8
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Cocker ATH, Shah NM, Raj I, Dermont S, Khan W, Mandalia S, Imami N, Johnson MR. Pregnancy Gestation Impacts on HIV-1-Specific Granzyme B Response and Central Memory CD4 T Cells. Front Immunol 2020; 11:153. [PMID: 32117291 PMCID: PMC7027986 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Pregnancy induces alterations in peripheral T-cell populations with both changes in subset frequencies and anti-viral responses found to alter with gestation. In HIV-1 positive women anti-HIV-1 responses are associated with transmission risk, however detailed investigation into both HIV-1-specific memory responses associated with HIV-1 control and T-cell subset changes during pregnancy have not been undertaken. In this study we aimed to define pregnancy and gestation related changes to HIV-1-specific responses and T-cell phenotype in ART treated HIV-1 positive pregnant women. Eleven non-pregnant and 24 pregnant HIV-1 positive women were recruited, peripheral blood samples taken, fresh cells isolated, and compared using ELISpot assays and flow cytometry analysis. Clinical data were collected as part of standard care, and non-parametric statistics used. Alterations in induced IFNγ, IL-2, IL-10, and granzyme B secretion by peripheral blood mononuclear cells in response to HIV-1 Gag and Nef peptide pools and changes in T-cell subsets between pregnant and non-pregnant women were assessed, with data correlated with participant clinical parameters and longitudinal analysis performed. Cross-sectional comparison identified decreased IL-10 Nef response in HIV-1 positive pregnant women compared to non-pregnant, while correlations exhibited reversed Gag and Nef cytokine and protease response associations between groups. Longitudinal analysis of pregnant participants demonstrated transient increases in Gag granzyme B response and in the central memory CD4 T-cell subset frequency during their second trimester, with a decrease in CD4 effector memory T cells from their second to third trimester. Gag and Nef HIV-1-specific responses diverge with pregnancy time-point, coinciding with relevant T-cell phenotype, and gestation associated immunological adaptations. Decreased IL-10 Nef and both increased granzyme B Gag response and central memory CD4 T cells implies that amplified antigen production is occurring, which suggests a period of compromised HIV-1 control in pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Inez Raj
- Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Dermont
- Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Waheed Khan
- Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, United Kingdom
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9
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Defining Kinetic Properties of HIV-Specific CD8⁺ T-Cell Responses in Acute Infection. Microorganisms 2019; 7:microorganisms7030069. [PMID: 30836625 PMCID: PMC6462943 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7030069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2019] [Revised: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple lines of evidence indicate that CD8 + T cells are important in the control of HIV-1 (HIV) replication. However, CD8 + T cells induced by natural infection cannot eliminate the virus or reduce viral loads to acceptably low levels in most infected individuals. Understanding the basic quantitative features of CD8 + T-cell responses induced during HIV infection may therefore inform us about the limits that HIV vaccines, which aim to induce protective CD8 + T-cell responses, must exceed. Using previously published experimental data from a cohort of HIV-infected individuals with sampling times from acute to chronic infection we defined the quantitative properties of CD8 + T-cell responses to the whole HIV proteome. In contrast with a commonly held view, we found that the relative number of HIV-specific CD8 + T-cell responses (response breadth) changed little over the course of infection (first 400 days post-infection), with moderate but statistically significant changes occurring only during the first 35 symptomatic days. This challenges the idea that a change in the T-cell response breadth over time is responsible for the slow speed of viral escape from CD8 + T cells in the chronic infection. The breadth of HIV-specific CD8 + T-cell responses was not correlated with the average viral load for our small cohort of patients. Metrics of relative immunodominance of HIV-specific CD8 + T-cell responses such as Shannon entropy or the Evenness index were also not significantly correlated with the average viral load. Our mathematical-model-driven analysis suggested extremely slow expansion kinetics for the majority of HIV-specific CD8 + T-cell responses and the presence of intra- and interclonal competition between multiple CD8 + T-cell responses; such competition may limit the magnitude of CD8 + T-cell responses, specific to different epitopes, and the overall number of T-cell responses induced by vaccination. Further understanding of mechanisms underlying interactions between the virus and virus-specific CD8 + T-cell response will be instrumental in determining which T-cell-based vaccines will induce T-cell responses providing durable protection against HIV infection.
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10
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Salido J, Ruiz MJ, Trifone C, Figueroa MI, Caruso MP, Gherardi MM, Sued O, Salomón H, Laufer N, Ghiglione Y, Turk G. Phenotype, Polyfunctionality, and Antiviral Activity of in vitro Stimulated CD8 + T-Cells From HIV + Subjects Who Initiated cART at Different Time-Points After Acute Infection. Front Immunol 2018; 9:2443. [PMID: 30405632 PMCID: PMC6205955 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Since anti-HIV treatment cannot cure the infection, many strategies have been proposed to eradicate the viral reservoir, which still remains as a major challenge. The success of some of these strategies will rely on the ability of HIV-specific CD8+ T-cells (CD8TC) to clear reactivated infected cells. Here, we aimed to investigate the phenotype and function of in vitro expanded CD8TC obtained from HIV+ subjects on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), either initiated earlier (median = 3 months postinfection, ET: Early treatment) or later (median = 20 months postinfection, DT: Delayed treatment) after infection. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 12 DT and 13 ET subjects were obtained and stimulated with Nef and Gag peptide pools plus IL-2 for 14 days. ELISPOT was performed pre- and post-expansion. CD8TC memory/effector phenotype, PD-1 expression, polyfunctionality (CD107a/b, IFN-γ, IL-2, CCL4 (MIP-1β), and/or TNF-α production) and antiviral activity were evaluated post-expansion. Magnitude of ELISPOT responses increased after expansion by 103 times, in both groups. Expanded cells were highly polyfunctional, regardless of time of cART initiation. The memory/effector phenotype distribution was sharply skewed toward an effector phenotype after expansion in both groups although ET subjects showed significantly higher proportions of stem-cell and central memory CD8TCs. PD-1 expression was clustered in HIV-specific effector memory CD8TCs, subset that also showed the highest proportion of cytokine-producing cells. Moreover, PD-1 expression directly correlated with CD8TC functionality. Expanded CD8TCs from DT and ET subjects were highly capable of mediating antiviral activity, measured by two different assays. Antiviral function directly correlated with the proportion of fully differentiated effector cells (viral inhibition assay) as well as with CD8TC polyfunctionality and PD-1 expression (VITAL assay). In sum, we show that, despite being dampened in subjects on cART, the HIV-specific CD8TC response could be selectively stimulated and expanded in vitro, presenting a high proportion of cells able to carry-out multiple effector functions. Timing of cART initiation had an impact on the memory/effector differentiation phenotype, most likely reflecting how different periods of antigen persistence affected immune function. Overall, these results have important implications for the design and evaluation of strategies aimed at modulating CD8TCs to achieve the HIV functional cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimena Salido
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Julia Ruiz
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - César Trifone
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - María Paula Caruso
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Magdalena Gherardi
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Omar Sued
- Fundación Huésped, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Horacio Salomón
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Natalia Laufer
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. JA Fernández”, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Yanina Ghiglione
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gabriela Turk
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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11
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Tarosso LF, Vieira VA, Sauer MM, Tomiyama HI, Kalil J, Kallas EG. Conserved HIV-1 Gag p24 Epitopes Elicit Cellular Immune Responses That Impact Disease Outcome. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 2017; 33:832-842. [PMID: 28594230 DOI: 10.1089/aid.2016.0168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the breadth of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-specific cellular immune response and its impact on the control of viral replication have already been addressed, reported data have proven controversial. We hypothesize that the nature of targeted epitopes, rather than the simple breadth or magnitude of responses, correlates with disease outcome. In this study, we explore the occurrence of patterns of Gag p24 recognition among untreated HIV-1-infected patients by identifying the epitopes that compose such patterns and how they distinctly associate with disease progression. Utilizing enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) interferon gamma (IFN-γ), we screened cellular responses of 27 HIV-1-infected subjects against 15-mer peptides encompassing the whole Gag p24 protein. Obtained data were used to develop a clustering analysis that allowed definition of two groups of individuals with totally distinct patterns of recognition. Although targeted Gag p24 peptides were completely different between the two groups, the breadth and magnitude of the responses were not. Interestingly, viral control and preservation of CD4+ T cells were increased in one group. In addition, we compared genetic conservation of amino acid sequences of the recognized peptides, as well as of the human leucocyte antigen class I (HLA-I)-restricted epitopes within them. Subjects presenting higher control of HIV-1 replication targeted more conserved epitopes, and higher genetic variation was present mainly in anchor residues for HLA-I molecules. We strengthen the existing evidence from cases of HIV-1 infection in humans that, cellular immune responses targeting conserved epitopes, rather than the magnitude and breadth of responses, associate with a better control of viral replication and maintenance of peripheral CD4+ T cell counts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandro F. Tarosso
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vinicius A. Vieira
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mariana M. Sauer
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Helena I. Tomiyama
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jorge Kalil
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Esper G. Kallas
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil
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12
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Negi N, Vajpayee M, Singh R, Sharma A, Murugavel KG, Ranga U, Thakar M, Sreenivas V, Das BK. Cross-Reactive Potential of HIV-1 Subtype C-Infected Indian Individuals Against Multiple HIV-1 Potential T Cell Epitope Gag Variants. Viral Immunol 2016; 29:572-582. [PMID: 27875663 DOI: 10.1089/vim.2016.0060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Vaccine immunogen with expanded T cell coverage for protection against HIV-1 diversity is the need of the hour. This study was undertaken to examine the ability of T cells to respond to a broad spectrum of potential T cell epitope (PTE) peptides containing variable as well as conserved sequences that would most accurately reflect immune responses to different circulating strains. Set of 320 PTE peptides were pooled in a matrix format that included 40 pools of 32 peptides per pool. These pools were used in interferon-γ enzyme-linked immunospot assay for screening and confirmation of HIV-1 PTE Gag-specific T cell immune responses in 34 HIV-1 seropositive Indian individuals. "Deconvolute This" software was used for result analysis. The dominant target in terms of magnitude and breadth of responses was observed to be the p24 subunit of Gag protein. Of the 34 study subjects, 26 (77%) showed a response to p24 PTE Gag peptides, 17 (50%) to p17, and 17 (50%) responded to p15 PTE peptides. The total breadth and magnitude of immune response ranged from 0.75 to 14.50 and 95.02 to 1,103 spot-forming cells/106 cells, respectively. Seventy-six peptides located in p24 Gag were targeted by 77% of the study subjects followed by 51 peptides in p17 Gag and 46 peptides in p15 Gag with multiple variants being recognized. Maximum study participants recognized PTE peptide sequence Gag271→285NKIVRMYSPVSILDI located in p24 Gag subunit. T cells from HIV-1-infected individuals can recognize multiple PTE peptide variants, although the magnitude of the responses can vary greatly across these variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neema Negi
- 1 Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences , New Delhi, India
| | - Madhu Vajpayee
- 1 Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences , New Delhi, India
| | - Ravinder Singh
- 2 Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences , New Delhi, India
| | - Ashutosh Sharma
- 1 Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences , New Delhi, India
| | - Kailapuri G Murugavel
- 3 YRG Centre for AIDS Research and Education, Voluntary Health Services Hospital , Chennai, India
| | - Udaykumar Ranga
- 4 HIV-AIDS Laboratory, Molecular Biology & Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research , Bangalore, India
| | - Madhuri Thakar
- 5 Department of Immunology, National AIDS Research Institute (ICMR) , Pune, India
| | - Vishnubhatla Sreenivas
- 6 Department of Biostatistics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences , New Delhi, India
| | - Bimal Kumar Das
- 1 Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences , New Delhi, India
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13
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE Properly priming cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses is an important task in HIV-1 vaccination. However, the STEP trial showed no efficacy even though the vaccine elicited HIV-specific CTL responses. Our study is to investigate whether or not the STEP vaccine enhanced viral escape in infected volunteers. METHODS The signature of viral escape, the presence of multiple escape variants, could be falsely represented by the existence of multiple founder viruses. Therefore, we use a mathematical model to designate STEP study patients with infections from a single founder virus. We then conduct permutation tests on each of 9988 Gag, Pol, and Nef overlapping peptides to identify epitopes with significant differences in diversity between the vaccine and placebo groups using previously published STEP trial sequence data. RESULTS We identify signatures of vaccine-enhanced viral escape within HIV-1 Nef from the STEP trial. Vaccine-treated patients showed a greater level of epitope diversity in one of the immunodomiant epitopes, EVGFPVRPQVPL (Nef65-76), compared with placebo-treated patients (P = 0.0038). In the other three Nef epitopes, there is a marginally significant difference in the epitope diversity between the vaccine and placebo group (P < 0.1). This greater epitope diversity was neither due to any difference in infection duration nor overall nef gene diversity between the two groups, suggesting that the increase in viral escape was likely mediated by vaccine-induced T-cell responses. CONCLUSION Viral escape in Nef is elevated preferentially in STEP vaccine-treated individuals, suggesting that vaccination primarily modulated initial CTL responses. Our observations provide important insights into improving vaccine-primed first immune control.
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14
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Kamori D, Hasan Z, Ohashi J, Kawana-Tachikawa A, Gatanaga H, Oka S, Ueno T. Identification of two unique naturally occurring Vpr sequence polymorphisms associated with clinical parameters in HIV-1 chronic infection. J Med Virol 2016; 89:123-129. [PMID: 27328918 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.24612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
HIV-1 viral protein R (Vpr) plays important roles in HIV-1 replication. Despite the identification of a number of HLA class I-associated immune escape mutations; it is yet known whether immune-driven Vpr polymorphisms are associated with disease outcome. Hereby, we comprehensively analyzed Vpr sequence polymorphisms and their association with disease outcome and host HLA genotypes, by using plasma viral RNA isolated from 444 HLA-typed, treatment-naïve, chronically HIV-1 infected individuals. Vpr amino acid residues at positions 13, 37, 45, 55, 63, 77, 84, 85, 86, and 93 were significantly associated with patients' plasma viral load and/or CD4 count. Further analysis revealed Ala at position 55 was significantly associated with lower plasma viral load; and Thr at position 63 was significantly associated with lower plasma viral load and higher CD4 count. Also, the number of amino acid residues at the two positions, located in a functionally important α-helical domain, correlated inversely with plasma viral load and positively with CD4 count. Moreover, a phylogenetically corrected method revealed residues at positions 55 and 63 are associated with patients' HLA genotypes. Taken together, our results suggest that Vpr polymorphisms at functionally important and immune-reactive sites may contribute, at least in part, to viral replication and disease outcome in vivo. J. Med. Virol. 89:123-129, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doreen Kamori
- Center for AIDS Research, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Zafrul Hasan
- Center for AIDS Research, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Jun Ohashi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ai Kawana-Tachikawa
- AIDS Research Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan.,Institute of Medical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Gatanaga
- Center for AIDS Research, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.,AIDS Clinical Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinichi Oka
- Center for AIDS Research, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.,AIDS Clinical Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takamasa Ueno
- Center for AIDS Research, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan. .,International Research Center for Medical Sciences (IRCMS), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
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15
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Svitek N, Taracha ELN, Saya R, Awino E, Nene V, Steinaa L. Analysis of the Cellular Immune Responses to Vaccines. Methods Mol Biol 2016; 1349:247-262. [PMID: 26458841 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3008-1_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISpot) and cellular cytotoxicity assays are powerful tools for studying the cellular immune response towards intracellular pathogens and vaccines in livestock species. Lymphocytes from immunized animals can be purified using Ficoll-Paque density gradient centrifugation and evaluated for their antigen specificity or reactivity towards a vaccine. Here, we describe staining of bovine lymphocytes with peptide (p)-MHC class I tetramers and antibodies specific towards cellular activation markers for evaluation by multiparametric flow cytometry, as well as interferon (IFN)-γ ELISpot and cytotoxicity using chromium ((51)Cr) release assays. A small component on the use of immunoinformatics for fine-tuning the identification of a minimal CTL epitope is included.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Svitek
- Vaccine Biosciences, International Livestock Research Institute, Att: Lucilla Steinaa, Vaccine Biosciences, 30709, 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Evans L N Taracha
- Vaccine Biosciences, International Livestock Research Institute, Att: Lucilla Steinaa, Vaccine Biosciences, 30709, 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Rosemary Saya
- Vaccine Biosciences, International Livestock Research Institute, Att: Lucilla Steinaa, Vaccine Biosciences, 30709, 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Elias Awino
- Vaccine Biosciences, International Livestock Research Institute, Att: Lucilla Steinaa, Vaccine Biosciences, 30709, 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Vishvanath Nene
- Vaccine Biosciences, International Livestock Research Institute, Att: Lucilla Steinaa, Vaccine Biosciences, 30709, 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Lucilla Steinaa
- Vaccine Biosciences, International Livestock Research Institute, Att: Lucilla Steinaa, Vaccine Biosciences, 30709, 00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
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16
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Broad and persistent Gag-specific CD8+ T-cell responses are associated with viral control but rarely drive viral escape during primary HIV-1 infection. AIDS 2015; 29:23-33. [PMID: 25387316 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0000000000000508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We characterized protein-specific CD8 T-cell immunodominance patterns during the first year of HIV-1 infection, and their impact on viral evolution and immune control. METHODS We analyzed CD8 T-cell responses to the full HIV-1 proteome during the first year of infection in 18 antiretroviral-naïve individuals with acute HIV-1 subtype C infection, all identified prior to seroconversion. Ex-vivo and cultured interferon-γ ELISPOT assays were performed and viruses from plasma were sequenced within defined CTL Gag epitopes. RESULTS Nef-specific CD8 T-cell responses were dominant during the first 4 weeks after infection and made up 40% of the total responses at this time; yet, by 1 year, responses against this region had declined and Gag responses made up to 47% of all T-cell responses measured. An inverse correlation between the breadth of Gag-specific responses and viral load set point was evident at 26 weeks after infection (P = 0.0081, r = -0.60) and beyond. An inverse correlation between the number of persistent responses targeting Gag and viral set point was also identified (P = 0.01, r = -0.58). Gag-specific responses detectable by the cultured ELISPOT assay correlated negatively with viral load set point (P = 0.0013, r = -0.91). Sequence evolution in targeted and nontargeted Gag epitopes in this cohort was infrequent. CONCLUSIONS These data underscore the importance of HIV-specific CD8 T-cell responses, particularly to the Gag protein, in the maintenance of low viral load levels during primary infection, and show that these responses are initially poorly elicited by natural infection. These data have implications for vaccine design strategies.
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17
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Tongo M, Burgers WA. Challenges in the design of a T cell vaccine in the context of HIV-1 diversity. Viruses 2014; 6:3968-90. [PMID: 25341662 PMCID: PMC4213573 DOI: 10.3390/v6103968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2014] [Revised: 10/15/2014] [Accepted: 10/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The extraordinary variability of HIV-1 poses a major obstacle to vaccine development. The effectiveness of a vaccine is likely to vary dramatically in different populations infected with different HIV-1 subtypes, unless innovative vaccine immunogens are developed to protect against the range of HIV-1 diversity. Immunogen design for stimulating neutralizing antibody responses focuses on “breadth” – the targeting of a handful of highly conserved neutralizing determinants on the HIV-1 Envelope protein that can recognize the majority of viruses across all HIV-1 subtypes. An effective vaccine will likely require the generation of both broadly cross-neutralizing antibodies and non-neutralizing antibodies, as well as broadly cross-reactive T cells. Several approaches have been taken to design such broadly-reactive and cross-protective T cell immunogens. Artificial sequences have been designed that reduce the genetic distance between a vaccine strain and contemporary circulating viruses; “mosaic” immunogens extend this concept to contain multiple potential T cell epitope (PTE) variants; and further efforts attempt to focus T cell immunity on highly conserved regions of the HIV-1 genome. Thus far, a number of pre-clinical and early clinical studies have been performed assessing these new immunogens. In this review, the potential use of these new immunogens is explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Tongo
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Division of Medical Virology, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory 7925, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Wendy A Burgers
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Division of Medical Virology, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory 7925, Cape Town, South Africa.
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18
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Mlisana K, Werner L, Garrett NJ, McKinnon LR, van Loggerenberg F, Passmore JAS, Gray CM, Morris L, Williamson C, Abdool Karim SS. Rapid disease progression in HIV-1 subtype C-infected South African women. Clin Infect Dis 2014; 59:1322-31. [PMID: 25038116 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciu573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Whereas human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) subtype B-infected individuals generally progress to AIDS within 8-10 years, limited data exist for other clades, especially from Africa. We investigated rates of HIV disease progression of clade C-infected South African women. METHODS Prospective seroincidence cohorts in KwaZulu-Natal were assessed for acute HIV infection monthly (n = 245) or every 3 months (n = 594) for up to 4 years. Rapid disease progression was defined as CD4 decline to <350 cells/µL by 2 years postinfection. Serial clinical and laboratory assessments were compared using survival analysis and logistic regression models. RESULTS Sixty-two women were identified at a median of 42 days postinfection (interquartile range, 34-59), contributing 282 person-years of follow-up. Mean CD4 count dropped by 39.6% at 3 months and 46.7% at 6 months postinfection in women with preinfection measurements. CD4 decline to <350 cells/µL occurred in 31%, 44%, and 55% of women at 1, 2, and 3 years postinfection, respectively, and to <500 cells/µL in 69%, 79%, and 81% at equivalent timepoints. Predictors of rapid progression were CD4 count at 3 months postinfection (hazard ratio [HR], 2.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31-3.28; P = .002), setpoint viral load (HR, 3.82; 95% CI, 1.51-9.67; P = .005), and hepatitis B coinfection (HR, 4.54; 95% CI, 1.31-15.69; P = .017). Conversely, presence of any of HLAB*1302, B*27, B*57, B*5801, or B*8101 alleles predicted non-rapid progression (HR, 0.19; 95% CI, .05-.74; P = .016). CONCLUSIONS Nearly half of subtype C-infected women progressed to a CD4 count <350 cells/µL within 2 years of infection. Implementing 2013 World Health Organization treatment guidelines (CD4 count <500 cells/µL) would require most individuals to start antiretroviral therapy within 1 year of HIV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koleka Mlisana
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa Department of Medical Microbiology, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Lise Werner
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa
| | | | | | - Francois van Loggerenberg
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa The Global Health Network, Centre for Tropical Medicine, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jo-Ann S Passmore
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa Divisions of Immunology and Medical Virology, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town
| | - Clive M Gray
- National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa Divisions of Immunology and Medical Virology, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town
| | - Lynn Morris
- AIDS Virus Research Unit, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Carolyn Williamson
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa Divisions of Immunology and Medical Virology, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town
| | - Salim S Abdool Karim
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa Columbia University, New York, New York
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19
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Hanke T. Conserved immunogens in prime-boost strategies for the next-generation HIV-1 vaccines. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2014; 14:601-16. [PMID: 24490585 DOI: 10.1517/14712598.2014.885946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Effective vaccines are the best solution for stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. Their development and in-depth understanding of pathogen-host interactions rely on technological advances. AREAS COVERED Rational vaccine development can be effectively approached by conceptual separation of, on one hand, design of immunogens from improving their presentation to the immune system and, on the other, induction of antibodies from induction of killer CD8(+) T cells. The biggest roadblock for many vaccines is the pathogens' variability. This is best tackled by focusing both antibodies and T cells on the functionally most conserved regions of proteins common to many variants, including escape mutants. For vectored vaccines, these 'universal' subunit immunogens are most efficiently delivered using heterologous prime-boost regimens, which can be further optimised by adjuvantation and route of delivery. EXPERT OPINION Development of vaccines against human diseases has many features in common. Acceleration of vaccine discovery depends on basic research and new technologies. Novel strategies should be safely, but rapidly tested in humans. While out-of-the-box thinking is important, vaccine success largely depends on incremental advances best achieved through small, systematic, iterative clinical studies. Failures are inevitable, but the end rewards are huge. The future will be exciting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomáš Hanke
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford , Old Road Campus Research Building, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7DQ , UK
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20
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Measuring inhibition of HIV replication by ex vivo CD8⁺ T cells. J Immunol Methods 2013; 404:71-80. [PMID: 24374374 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2013.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2012] [Revised: 11/19/2013] [Accepted: 12/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
HIV replication is unrestrained in vivo in the vast majority of infected subjects, and the ability of some rare individuals to control this virus is poorly understood. Standard immunogenicity assays for detecting HIV-1-specific CD8(+) T-cell responses, such as IFN-γ ELISpot and intracellular cytokine staining, generally fail to correlate with in vivo inhibition of HIV replication. Several viral inhibition assays, which measure the effectiveness of CD8(+) T-cell responses in suppressing HIV replication in vitro, have been described; but most depend on in vitro expansion of CD8(+) T cells, and some show inhibitory activity in HIV-negative individuals. We have optimized an assay to assess the suppressive capability of CD8(+) T cells directly ex vivo, eliminating the potential for altering their function through activation or expansion prior to assay setup, and thereby enhancing the assay's sensitivity by avoiding non-specific inhibition. With this method, the ability of ex vivo CD8(+) T cells to control HIV-1 replication in vitro can be quantified over several orders of magnitude. Specifically, our assay can be used to better define the antiviral function of CD8(+) T cells induced by vaccination, and can provide insight into their ability to control viral replication if HIV infection occurs post-vaccination.
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21
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Development of a luciferase based viral inhibition assay to evaluate vaccine induced CD8 T-cell responses. J Immunol Methods 2013; 409:161-73. [PMID: 24291126 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2013.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2013] [Accepted: 11/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Emergence of SIV and HIV specific CD8 T cells has been shown to correlate with control of in vivo replication. Poor correlation between IFN-γ ELISPOT responses and in vivo control of the virus has triggered the development of more relevant assays to assess functional HIV-1 specific CD8 T-cell responses for the evaluation and prioritization of new HIV-1 vaccine candidates. We previously established a viral inhibition assay (VIA) that measures the ability of vaccine-induced CD8 T-cell responses to inhibit viral replication in autologous CD4 T cells. In this assay, viral replication is determined by measuring p24 in the culture supernatant. Here we describe the development of a novel VIA, referred to as IMC LucR VIA that exploits replication-competent HIV-1 infectious molecular clones (IMCs) in which the complete proviral genome is strain-specific and which express the Renilla luciferase (LucR) gene to determine viral growth and inhibition. The introduction of the luciferase readout does provide significant improvement of the read out time. In addition to switching to the LucR read out, changes made to the overall protocol resulted in the miniaturization of the assay from a 48 to a 96-well plate format, which preserved sample and allowed for the introduction of replicates. The overall assay time was reduced from 13 to 8 days. The assay has a high degree of specificity, and the previously observed non-specific background inhibition in cells from HIV-1 negative volunteers has been reduced dramatically. Importantly, we observed an increase in positive responses, indicating an improvement in sensitivity compared to the original VIA. Currently, only a limited number of "whole-genome" IMC-LucR viruses are available and our efforts will focus on expanding the panel to better evaluate anti-viral breadth. Overall, we believe the IMC LucR VIA provides a platform to assess functional CD8 T-cell responses in large-scale clinical trial testing, which will enhance the ability to select the most promising HIV-1 vaccine candidates capable of controlling HIV-1 replication in vivo.
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22
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Differential impact of magnitude, polyfunctional capacity, and specificity of HIV-specific CD8+ T cell responses on HIV set point. J Virol 2013; 88:1819-24. [PMID: 24227857 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02968-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Defining the characteristics of HIV-specific CD8(+) T cell responses that lead to viral control is crucial for vaccine development. We evaluated the differential impact of magnitude, polyfunctional capacity, and specificity of the CD8(+) response at approximately 6 months postinfection on the viral set point at 12 months in a cohort of HIV-infected individuals. High frequencies of Gag and Nef responses endowed with four functions were the best predictors of a low viral set point.
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23
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Adland E, Carlson JM, Paioni P, Kløverpris H, Shapiro R, Ogwu A, Riddell L, Luzzi G, Chen F, Balachandran T, Heckerman D, Stryhn A, Edwards A, Ndung’u T, Walker BD, Buus S, Goulder P, Matthews PC. Nef-specific CD8+ T cell responses contribute to HIV-1 immune control. PLoS One 2013; 8:e73117. [PMID: 24023819 PMCID: PMC3759414 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0073117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2013] [Accepted: 07/24/2013] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies in the SIV-macaque model of HIV infection suggest that Nef-specific CD8+ T-cell responses may mediate highly effective immune control of viraemia. In HIV infection Nef recognition dominates in acute infection, but in large cohort studies of chronically infected subjects, breadth of T cell responses to Nef has not been correlated with significant viraemic control. Improved disease outcomes have instead been associated with targeting Gag and, in some cases, Pol. However analyses of the breadth of Nef-specific T cell responses have been confounded by the extreme immunogenicity and multiple epitope overlap within the central regions of Nef, making discrimination of distinct responses impossible via IFN-gamma ELISPOT assays. Thus an alternative approach to assess Nef as an immune target is needed. Here, we show in a cohort of >700 individuals with chronic C-clade infection that >50% of HLA-B-selected polymorphisms within Nef are associated with a predicted fitness cost to the virus, and that HLA-B alleles that successfully drive selection within Nef are those linked with lower viral loads. Furthermore, the specific CD8+ T cell epitopes that are restricted by protective HLA Class I alleles correspond substantially to effective SIV-specific epitopes in Nef. Distinguishing such individual HIV-specific responses within Nef requires specific peptide-MHC I tetramers. Overall, these data suggest that CD8+ T cell targeting of certain specific Nef epitopes contributes to HIV suppression. These data suggest that a re-evaluation of the potential use of Nef in HIV T-cell vaccine candidates would be justified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Adland
- Department of Paediatrics, Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Jonathan M. Carlson
- Microsoft Research, eScience Group, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Paolo Paioni
- Department of Paediatrics, Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Henrik Kløverpris
- Department of Paediatrics, Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Institute for Tuberculosis & HIV, K-RITH, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZuluNatal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Roger Shapiro
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Anthony Ogwu
- Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Lynn Riddell
- Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Trust,Northampton General Hospital, Northampton, United Kingdom
| | - Graz Luzzi
- Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Wycombe Hospital, High Wycombe, Bucks, United Kingdom
| | - Fabian Chen
- Department of Sexual Health, Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Thambiah Balachandran
- Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Luton and Dunstable Hospital, Luton, United Kingdom
| | - David Heckerman
- Microsoft Research, eScience Group, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Anette Stryhn
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anne Edwards
- The Oxford Department of Genitourinary Medicine, the Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Thumbi Ndung’u
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, the Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZuluNatal, Durban, South Africa
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Bruce D. Walker
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, the Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZuluNatal, Durban, South Africa
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Søren Buus
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Philip Goulder
- Department of Paediatrics, Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, the Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZuluNatal, Durban, South Africa
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Philippa C. Matthews
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Perez CL, Milush JM, Buggert M, Eriksson EM, Larsen MV, Liegler T, Hartogensis W, Bacchetti P, Lund O, Hecht FM, Nixon DF, Karlsson AC. Targeting of conserved gag-epitopes in early HIV infection is associated with lower plasma viral load and slower CD4(+) T cell depletion. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 2013; 29:602-12. [PMID: 23140171 DOI: 10.1089/aid.2012.0171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We aimed to investigate whether the character of the immunodominant HIV-Gag peptide (variable or conserved) targeted by CD8(+) T cells in early HIV infection would influence the quality and quantity of T cell responses, and whether this would affect the rate of disease progression. Treatment-naive HIV-infected study subjects within the OPTIONS cohort at the University of California, San Francisco, were monitored from an estimated 44 days postinfection for up to 6 years. CD8(+) T cells responses targeting HLA-matched HIV-Gag-epitopes were identified and characterized by multicolor flow cytometry. The autologous HIV gag sequences were obtained. We demonstrate that patients targeting a conserved HIV-Gag-epitope in early infection maintained their epitope-specific CD8(+) T cell response throughout the study period. Patients targeting a variable epitope showed decreased immune responses over time, although there was no limitation of the functional profile, and they were likely to target additional variable epitopes. Maintained immune responses to conserved epitopes were associated with no or limited sequence evolution within the targeted epitope. Patients with immune responses targeting conserved epitopes had a significantly lower median viral load over time compared to patients with responses targeting a variable epitope (0.63 log(10) difference). Furthermore, the rate of CD4(+) T cell decline was slower for subjects targeting a conserved epitope (0.85% per month) compared to subjects targeting a variable epitope (1.85% per month). Previous studies have shown that targeting of antigens based on specific HLA types is associated with a better disease course. In this study we show that categorizing epitopes based on their variability is associated with clinical outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina L. Perez
- Department of Virology, Swedish Institute for Communicable Disease Control, Solna, Sweden
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jeffrey M. Milush
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Marcus Buggert
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Microbiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Emily M. Eriksson
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Mette V. Larsen
- Department of Systems Biology, Center for Biological Sequence Analysis, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Teri Liegler
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Wendy Hartogensis
- Positive Health Program, Department of Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Peter Bacchetti
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Ole Lund
- Department of Systems Biology, Center for Biological Sequence Analysis, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Frederick M. Hecht
- Positive Health Program, Department of Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Douglas F. Nixon
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Annika C. Karlsson
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Microbiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Rapid, complex adaptation of transmitted HIV-1 full-length genomes in subtype C-infected individuals with differing disease progression. AIDS 2013; 27:507-18. [PMID: 23370465 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0b013e32835cab64] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE(S) There is limited information on full-length genome sequences and the early evolution of transmitted HIV-1 subtype C viruses, which constitute the majority of viruses spread in Africa. The purpose of this study was to characterize the earliest changes across the genome of subtype C viruses following transmission, to better understand early control of viremia. DESIGN We derived the near full-length genome sequence responsible for clinical infection from five HIV subtype C-infected individuals with different disease progression profiles and tracked adaptation to immune responses in the first 6 months of infection. METHODS Near full-length genomes were generated by single genome amplification and direct sequencing. Sequences were analyzed for amino acid mutations associated with cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) or antibody-mediated immune pressure, and for reversion. RESULTS Fifty-five sequence changes associated with adaptation to the new host were identified, with 38% attributed to CTL pressure, 35% to antibody pressure, 16% to reversions and the remainder were unclassified. Mutations in CTL epitopes were most frequent in the first 5 weeks of infection, with the frequency declining over time with the decline in viral load. CTL escape predominantly occurred in nef, followed by pol and env. Shuffling/toggling of mutations was identified in 81% of CTL epitopes, with only 7% reaching fixation within the 6-month period. CONCLUSION There was rapid virus adaptation following transmission, predominantly driven by CTL pressure, with most changes occurring during high viremia. Rapid escape and complex escape pathways provide further challenges for vaccine protection.
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Abstract
HIV is a disease in which the original clinical observations of severe opportunistic infections gave the first clues regarding the underlying pathology, namely that HIV is essentially an infection of the immune system. HIV infects and deletes CD4(+) T cells that normally coordinate the adaptive T- and B-cell response to defend against intracellular pathogens. The immune defect is immediate and profound: At the time of acute infection with an AIDS virus, typically more than half of the gut-associated CD4(+) T cells are depleted, leaving a damaged immune system to contend with a life-long infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce Walker
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard Mass General Hospital-East, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA.
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27
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Temporal association of HLA-B*81:01- and HLA-B*39:10-mediated HIV-1 p24 sequence evolution with disease progression. J Virol 2012; 86:12013-24. [PMID: 22933291 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00539-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
HLA-B*81:01 and HLA-B*39:10 alleles have been associated with viremic control in HIV-1 subtype C infection. Both alleles restrict the TL9 epitope in p24 Gag, and cytotoxic-T-lymphocyte (CTL)-mediated escape mutations in this epitope have been associated with an in vitro fitness cost to the virus. We investigated the timing and impact of mutations in the TL9 epitope on disease progression in five B*81:01- and two B*39:10-positive subtype C-infected individuals. Whereas both B*39:10 participants sampled at 2 months postinfection had viruses with mutations in the TL9 epitope, in three of the five (3/5) B*81:01 participants, TL9 escape mutations were only detected 10 months after infection, taking an additional 10 to 15 months to reach fixation. In the two remaining B*81:01 individuals, one carried a TL9 escape variant at 2 weeks postinfection, whereas no escape mutations were detected in the virus from the other participant for up to 33 months postinfection, despite CTL targeting of the epitope. In all participants, escape mutations in TL9 were linked to coevolving residues in the region of Gag known to be associated with host tropism. Late escape in TL9, together with coevolution of putative compensatory mutations, coincided with a spontaneous increase in viral loads in two individuals who were otherwise controlling the infection. These results provide in vivo evidence of the detrimental impact of B*81:01-mediated viral evolution, in a single Gag p24 epitope, on the control of viremia.
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Van Gulck E, Bracke L, Heyndrickx L, Coppens S, Atkinson D, Merlin C, Pasternak A, Florence E, Vanham G. Immune and viral correlates of "secondary viral control" after treatment interruption in chronically HIV-1 infected patients. PLoS One 2012; 7:e37792. [PMID: 22666392 PMCID: PMC3364270 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2011] [Accepted: 04/26/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Upon interruption of antiretroviral therapy, HIV-infected patients usually show viral load rebound to pre-treatment levels. Four patients, hereafter referred to as secondary controllers (SC), were identified who initiated therapy during chronic infection and, after stopping treatment, could control virus replication at undetectable levels for more than six months. In the present study we set out to unravel possible viral and immune parameters or mechanisms of this phenomenon by comparing secondary controllers with elite controllers and non-controllers, including patients under HAART. As candidate correlates of protection, virus growth kinetics, levels of intracellular viral markers, several aspects of HIV-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell function and HIV neutralizing antibodies were investigated. As expected all intracellular viral markers were lower in aviremic as compared to viremic subjects, but in addition both elite and secondary controllers had lower levels of viral unspliced RNA in PBMC as compared to patients on HAART. Ex vivo cultivation of the virus from CD4+ T cells of SC consistently failed in one patient and showed delayed kinetics in the three others. Formal in vitro replication studies of these three viruses showed low to absent growth in two cases and a virus with normal fitness in the third case. T cell responses toward HIV peptides, evaluated in IFN-γ ELISPOT, revealed no significant differences in breadth, magnitude or avidity between SC and all other patient groups. Neither was there a difference in polyfunctionality of CD4+ or CD8+ T cells, as evaluated with intracellular cytokine staining. However, secondary and elite controllers showed higher proliferative responses to Gag and Pol peptides. SC also showed the highest level of autologous neutralizing antibodies. These data suggest that higher T cell proliferative responses and lower replication kinetics might be instrumental in secondary viral control in the absence of treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Van Gulck
- Virology Unit, Microbiology Group, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
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mRNA-based dendritic cell vaccination induces potent antiviral T-cell responses in HIV-1-infected patients. AIDS 2012; 26:F1-12. [PMID: 22156965 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0b013e32834f33e8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In an effort to raise protective antiviral immunity, dendritic cell immunotherapy was evaluated in six adults infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 and stable under highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). DESIGN AND METHODS Autologous monocyte-derived dendritic cells electroporated with mRNA encoding Gag and a chimeric Tat-Rev-Nef protein were administered, whereas patients remained on HAART. Feasibility, safety, immunogenicity and antiviral responses were investigated. RESULTS Dendritic cell vaccine preparation and administration were successful in all patients and only mild adverse events were seen. There was a significant increase post-dendritic cell as compared to pre-dendritic cell vaccination in magnitude and breadth of HIV-1-specific interferon (IFN)-γ response, in particular to Gag, and in T-cell proliferation. Breadth of IFN-γ response and T-cell proliferation were both correlated with CD4(+) and CD8(+) polyfunctional T-cell responses. Importantly, dendritic cell vaccination induced or increased the capacity of autologous CD8(+) T cells to inhibit superinfection of CD4(+) T cells with the vaccine-related IIIB virus and some but not all other HIV-1 strains tested. This HIV-1-inhibitory activity, indicative of improved antiviral response, was correlated with magnitude and breadth of Gag-specific IFN-γ response. CONCLUSIONS Therapeutic immunization with dendritic cells was safe and successful in raising antiviral cellular immune responses, including effector CD8(+) T cells with virus inhibitory activity. The stimulation of those potent immunological and antiviral effects, which have been associated with control of HIV-1, underscores the potential of dendritic cell vaccination in the treatment of HIV-1. The incomplete nature of the response in some patients helped to identify potential targets for future improvement, that is increasing antigenic spectrum and enhancing T-cell response.
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30
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Radebe M, Nair K, Chonco F, Bishop K, Wright JK, van der Stok M, Bassett IV, Mncube Z, Altfeld M, Walker BD, Ndung’u T. Limited immunogenicity of HIV CD8+ T-cell epitopes in acute Clade C virus infection. J Infect Dis 2011; 204:768-76. [PMID: 21844303 PMCID: PMC3156105 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jir394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2010] [Accepted: 04/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-specific CD8(+) responses contribute to the decline in acute peak viremia following infection. However, data on the relative immunogenicity of CD8(+) T-cell epitopes during and after acute viremia are lacking. METHODS We characterized CD8(+) T-cell responses in 20 acutely infected, antiretroviral-naive individuals with HIV-1 subtype C infection using the interferon-γ enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assay. Eleven of these had not fully seroconverted at the time of analysis. Viruses from plasma were sequenced within defined cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) cell epitopes for selected subjects. RESULTS At approximately 28 days after estimated initial infection, CD8(+) T-cell responses were directed against an average of 3 of the 410 peptides tested (range, 0-6); 2 individuals had no detectable responses at this time. At 18 weeks, the average number of peptides targeted had increased to 5 (range 0-11). Of the 56 optimal Gag CTL epitopes sequenced, 31 were wild-type in the infecting viruses, but only 11 of 31 elicited measurable CD8(+) T-cell responses. CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate that the majority of CD8(+) responses are not elicited during acute HIV infection despite the presence of the cognate epitope in the infecting strain. There is a need to define factors that influence lack of induction of effective immune responses and the parameters that dictate immunodominance in acute infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mopo Radebe
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Kriebashnie Nair
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Fundisiwe Chonco
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Karen Bishop
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Jaclyn K. Wright
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Mary van der Stok
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | | | - Zenele Mncube
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Marcus Altfeld
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Boston
| | - Bruce D. Walker
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Boston
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland
| | - Thumbi Ndung’u
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Boston
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31
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Fitness costs and diversity of the cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response determine the rate of CTL escape during acute and chronic phases of HIV infection. J Virol 2011; 85:10518-28. [PMID: 21835793 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00655-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 often evades cytotoxic T cell (CTL) responses by generating variants that are not recognized by CTLs. We used single-genome amplification and sequencing of complete HIV genomes to identify longitudinal changes in the transmitted/founder virus from the establishment of infection to the viral set point at 1 year after the infection. We found that the rate of viral escape from CTL responses in a given patient decreases dramatically from acute infection to the viral set point. Using a novel mathematical model that tracks the dynamics of viral escape at multiple epitopes, we show that a number of factors could potentially contribute to a slower escape in the chronic phase of infection, such as a decreased magnitude of epitope-specific CTL responses, an increased fitness cost of escape mutations, or an increased diversity of the CTL response. In the model, an increase in the number of epitope-specific CTL responses can reduce the rate of viral escape from a given epitope-specific CTL response, particularly if CD8+ T cells compete for killing of infected cells or control virus replication nonlytically. Our mathematical framework of viral escape from multiple CTL responses can be used to predict the breadth and magnitude of HIV-specific CTL responses that need to be induced by vaccination to reduce (or even prevent) viral escape following HIV infection.
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32
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Slota M, Lim JB, Dang Y, Disis ML. ELISpot for measuring human immune responses to vaccines. Expert Rev Vaccines 2011; 10:299-306. [PMID: 21434798 DOI: 10.1586/erv.10.169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (ELISpot) assay is one of the most commonly used methods to measure antigen-specific T cells in both mice and humans. Some of the primary reasons for the popularity of the method are that ELISpot is highly quantitative, can measure a broad range of magnitudes of response and is capable of assessing critical cellular immune-related activities such as IFN-γ secretion and granzyme B release. Furthermore, ELISpot is adaptable not only to the evaluation of a variety of T-cell functions, but also to B cells and innate immune cells. It is no wonder that ELISpot has evolved from a research tool to a clinical assay. Recent Phase I and II studies of cancer vaccines, tested in a variety of malignancies, have suggested that ELISpot may be a useful biomarker assay to predict clinical benefit after therapeutic immune modulation. This article will discuss the most common applications of ELISpot, overview the efforts that have been undertaken to standardize the assay and apply the method in the analysis of human clinical trials, and describe some important steps in the process of developing a clinical-grade ELISpot.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith Slota
- Tumor Vaccine Group, Center for Translational Medicine in Women's Health, 815 Mercer Street, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98058, USA
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33
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Virological and immunological factors associated with HIV-1 differential disease progression in HLA-B 58:01-positive individuals. J Virol 2011; 85:7070-80. [PMID: 21613398 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02543-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular epidemiology studies have identified HLA-B 58:01 as a protective HIV allele. However, not all B 58:01-expressing persons exhibit slow HIV disease progression. We followed six HLA-B 58:01-positive, HIV subtype C-infected individuals for up to 31 months from the onset of infection and observed substantial variability in their clinical progression despite comparable total breadths of T cell responses. We therefore investigated additional immunological and virological factors that could explain their different disease trajectories. Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses during acute infection predominantly targeted the TW10 and KF9 epitopes in p24(Gag) and Nef, respectively. Failure to target the TW10 epitope in one B 58:01-positive individual was associated with low CD4(+) counts and rapid disease progression. Among those targeting TW10, escape mutations arose within 2 to 15 weeks of infection. Rapid escape was associated with preexisting compensatory mutations in the transmitted viruses, which were present at a high frequency (69%) in the study population. At 1 year postinfection, B 58:01-positive individuals who targeted and developed escape mutations in the TW10 epitope (n = 5) retained significantly higher CD4(+) counts (P = 0.04), but not lower viral loads, than non-B 58:01-positive individuals (n = 17). The high population-level frequency of these compensatory mutations may be limiting the protective effect of the B 58:01 allele.
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34
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Matthews PC, Adland E, Listgarten J, Leslie A, Mkhwanazi N, Carlson JM, Harndahl M, Stryhn A, Payne RP, Ogwu A, Huang KHG, Frater J, Paioni P, Kloverpris H, Jooste P, Goedhals D, van Vuuren C, Steyn D, Riddell L, Chen F, Luzzi G, Balachandran T, Ndung'u T, Buus S, Carrington M, Shapiro R, Heckerman D, Goulder PJR. HLA-A*7401-mediated control of HIV viremia is independent of its linkage disequilibrium with HLA-B*5703. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2011; 186:5675-86. [PMID: 21498667 PMCID: PMC3738002 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1003711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The potential contribution of HLA-A alleles to viremic control in chronic HIV type 1 (HIV-1) infection has been relatively understudied compared with HLA-B. In these studies, we show that HLA-A*7401 is associated with favorable viremic control in extended southern African cohorts of >2100 C-clade-infected subjects. We present evidence that HLA-A*7401 operates an effect that is independent of HLA-B*5703, with which it is in linkage disequilibrium in some populations, to mediate lowered viremia. We describe a novel statistical approach to detecting additive effects between class I alleles in control of HIV-1 disease, highlighting improved viremic control in subjects with HLA-A*7401 combined with HLA-B*57. In common with HLA-B alleles that are associated with effective control of viremia, HLA-A*7401 presents highly targeted epitopes in several proteins, including Gag, Pol, Rev, and Nef, of which the Gag epitopes appear immunodominant. We identify eight novel putative HLA-A*7401-restricted epitopes, of which three have been defined to the optimal epitope. In common with HLA-B alleles linked with slow progression, viremic control through an HLA-A*7401-restricted response appears to be associated with the selection of escape mutants within Gag epitopes that reduce viral replicative capacity. These studies highlight the potentially important contribution of an HLA-A allele to immune control of HIV infection, which may have been concealed by a stronger effect mediated by an HLA-B allele with which it is in linkage disequilibrium. In addition, these studies identify a factor contributing to different HIV disease outcomes in individuals expressing HLA-B*5703.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippa C Matthews
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SY, United Kingdom
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Herschhorn A, Marasco WA, Hizi A. Antibodies and lentiviruses that specifically recognize a T cell epitope derived from HIV-1 Nef protein and presented by HLA-C. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2010; 185:7623-32. [PMID: 21076072 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1001561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
HIV selectively downregulates HLA-A and -B from the surfaces of infected cells to avoid detection by the immune system. In contrast, the HLA-C molecules are highly resistant to this downregulation. High expression level of HLA-C on the cell surface, which correlates with a single nucleotide polymorphism, is also associated with lower viral loads and slower progression to AIDS. These findings strongly suggest that HIV-1-derived peptides are efficiently presented by HLA-C and trigger the elimination of infected cells. Accordingly, the ability to detect these HLA-C-peptide complexes may be used for therapeutic targeting of HIV-1-infected cells and for measuring effective presentation of vaccine candidates after immunization with HIV-1-related proteins or genes. However, low level of HLA-C expression on the cell surface has impeded the development of such complex-recognizing reagents. In this study, we describe the development of a high-affinity human Ab that specifically interacts, at low pM concentrations, with a conserved viral T cell epitope derived from HIV-1 Nef protein and presented by HLA-C. The human Ab selectively detects this complex on different cells and does not interact with a control complex that differed only in the presented peptide. Engineering lentiviruses to display this Ab endowed them with the same specificity as the Ab, whereas coexpressing the Ab and Fas ligand enables the lentiviruses to kill specifically Nef-presenting cells. Abs and pseudoviruses with such specificity are likely to be highly valuable as building blocks for specific targeting and killing of HIV-1-infected cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alon Herschhorn
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
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Fluidity of HIV-1-specific T-cell responses during acute and early subtype C HIV-1 infection and associations with early disease progression. J Virol 2010; 84:12018-29. [PMID: 20826686 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01472-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Deciphering immune events during early stages of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection is critical for understanding the course of disease. We characterized the hierarchy of HIV-1-specific T-cell gamma interferon (IFN-γ) enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay responses during acute subtype C infection in 53 individuals and associated temporal patterns of responses with disease progression in the first 12 months. There was a diverse pattern of T-cell recognition across the proteome, with the recognition of Nef being immunodominant as early as 3 weeks postinfection. Over the first 6 months, we found that there was a 23% chance of an increased response to Nef for every week postinfection (P = 0.0024), followed by a nonsignificant increase to Pol (4.6%) and Gag (3.2%). Responses to Env and regulatory proteins appeared to remain stable. Three temporal patterns of HIV-specific T-cell responses could be distinguished: persistent, lost, or new. The proportion of persistent T-cell responses was significantly lower (P = 0.0037) in individuals defined as rapid progressors than in those progressing slowly and who controlled viremia. Almost 90% of lost T-cell responses were coincidental with autologous viral epitope escape. Regression analysis between the time to fixed viral escape and lost T-cell responses (r = 0.61; P = 0.019) showed a mean delay of 14 weeks after viral escape. Collectively, T-cell epitope recognition is not a static event, and temporal patterns of IFN-γ-based responses exist. This is due partly to viral sequence variation but also to the recognition of invariant viral epitopes that leads to waves of persistent T-cell immunity, which appears to associate with slower disease progression in the first year of infection.
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Gag-protease-mediated replication capacity in HIV-1 subtype C chronic infection: associations with HLA type and clinical parameters. J Virol 2010; 84:10820-31. [PMID: 20702636 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01084-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying HIV-1 control by protective HLA class I alleles are not fully understood and could involve selection of escape mutations in functionally important Gag epitopes resulting in fitness costs. This study was undertaken to investigate, at the population level, the impact of HLA-mediated immune pressure in Gag on viral fitness and its influence on HIV-1 pathogenesis. Replication capacities of 406 recombinant viruses encoding plasma-derived Gag-protease from patients chronically infected with HIV-1 subtype C were assayed in an HIV-1-inducible green fluorescent protein reporter cell line. Viral replication capacities varied significantly with respect to the specific HLA-B alleles expressed by the patient, and protective HLA-B alleles, most notably HLA-B81, were associated with lower replication capacities. HLA-associated mutations at low-entropy sites, especially the HLA-B81-associated 186S mutation in the TL9 epitope, were associated with lower replication capacities. Most mutations linked to alterations in replication capacity in the conserved p24 region decreased replication capacity, while most in the highly variable p17 region increased replication capacity. Replication capacity also correlated positively with baseline viral load and negatively with baseline CD4 count but did not correlate with the subsequent rate of CD4 decline. In conclusion, there is evidence that protective HLA alleles, in particular HLA-B81, significantly influence Gag-protease function by driving sequence changes in Gag and that conserved regions of Gag should be included in a vaccine aiming to drive HIV-1 toward a less fit state. However, the long-term clinical benefit of immune-driven fitness costs is uncertain given the lack of correlation with longitudinal markers of disease progression.
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Viral and Host Factors Associated With the HIV-1 Viral Load Setpoint in Adults From Mbeya Region, Tanzania. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2010; 54:324-30. [DOI: 10.1097/qai.0b013e3181cf30ba] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Maenetje P, Riou C, Casazza JP, Ambrozak D, Hill B, Gray G, Koup RA, de Bruyn G, Gray CM. A steady state of CD4+ T cell memory maturation and activation is established during primary subtype C HIV-1 infection. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2010; 184:4926-35. [PMID: 20363974 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.0903771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The functional integrity of CD4(+) T cells is crucial for well-orchestrated immunity and control of HIV-1 infection, but their selective depletion during infection creates a paradox for understanding a protective response. We used multiparameter flow cytometry to measure activation, memory maturation, and multiple functions of total and Ag-specific CD4(+) T cells in 14 HIV-1- and CMV- coinfected individuals at 3 and 12 mo post HIV-1 infection. Primary HIV-1 infection was characterized by elevated levels of CD38, HLA-DR, and Ki67 in total memory and Gag-specific CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells. In both HIV-infected and 15 uninfected controls, the frequency of activated cells was uniformly distributed among early differentiated (ED; CD45RO(+)CD27(+)), late differentiated (CD45RO(+)CD27(-)), and fully differentiated effector (CD45RO(-)CD27(-)) memory CD4(+) T cells. In HIV-1-infected individuals, activated CD4(+) T cells significantly correlated with viremia at 3 mo postinfection (r = 0.79, p = 0.0007) and also harbored more gag provirus DNA copies than nonactivated cells (p = 0.04). Moreover, Gag-specific ED CD4(+) T cells inversely associated with plasma viral load (r = -0.87, p < 0.0001). Overall, we show that low copy numbers of gag provirus and plasma RNA copies associated with low CD4 activation as well as accumulation of ED HIV-specific CD4(+) memory. Significant positive correlations between 3 and 12 mo activation and memory events highlighted that a steady state of CD4(+) T cell activation and memory maturation was established during primary infection and that these cells were unlikely to be involved in influencing the course of viremia in the first 12 mo of HIV-1 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pholo Maenetje
- AIDS Research Unit, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
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40
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T-cell correlates of vaccine efficacy after a heterologous simian immunodeficiency virus challenge. J Virol 2010; 84:4352-65. [PMID: 20164222 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02365-09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Determining the "correlates of protection" is one of the challenges in human immunodeficiency virus vaccine design. To date, T-cell-based AIDS vaccines have been evaluated with validated techniques that measure the number of CD8(+) T cells in the blood that secrete cytokines, mainly gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), in response to synthetic peptides. Despite providing accurate and reproducible measurements of immunogenicity, these methods do not directly assess antiviral function and thus may not identify protective CD8(+) T-cell responses. To better understand the correlates of vaccine efficacy, we analyzed the immune responses elicited by a successful T-cell-based vaccine against a heterologous simian immunodeficiency virus challenge. We searched for correlates of protection using a viral suppression assay (VSA) and an IFN-gamma enzyme-linked immunospot assay. While the VSA measured in vitro suppression, it did not predict the outcome of the vaccine trial. However, we found several aspects of the vaccine-induced T-cell response that were associated with improved outcome after challenge. Of note, broad vaccine-induced prechallenge T-cell responses directed against Gag and Vif correlated with lower viral loads and higher CD4(+) lymphocyte counts. These results may be relevant for the development of T-cell-based AIDS vaccines since they indicate that broad epitope-specific repertoires elicited by vaccination might serve as a correlate of vaccine efficacy. Furthermore, the present study demonstrates that certain viral proteins may be more effective than others as vaccine immunogens.
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Ahlers JD, Belyakov IM. Lessons learned from natural infection: focusing on the design of protective T cell vaccines for HIV/AIDS. Trends Immunol 2010; 31:120-30. [PMID: 20089450 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2009.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2009] [Revised: 12/08/2009] [Accepted: 12/11/2009] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
CD8(+) cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses are crucial in establishing the control of persistent virus infections. Population studies of HIV-1-infected individuals suggest that CD8(+) CTL responses targeting epitopes that take the greatest toll on virus replication are instrumental in immune control. A major question for vaccine design is whether incorporating epitopes responsible for controlling a persistent virus will translate into protection from natural infection or serve solely as a fail-safe mechanism to prevent overt disease in infected individuals. Here, we discuss qualitative parameters of the CD8(+) CTL response and mechanisms operative in the control of persistent virus infections and suggest new strategies for design and delivery of HIV vaccines.
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Treurnicht FK, Seoighe C, Martin DP, Wood N, Abrahams MR, Rosa DDA, Bredell H, Woodman Z, Hide W, Mlisana K, Karim SA, Gray CM, Williamson C. Adaptive changes in HIV-1 subtype C proteins during early infection are driven by changes in HLA-associated immune pressure. Virology 2009; 396:213-25. [PMID: 19913270 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2009.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2009] [Revised: 07/21/2009] [Accepted: 10/04/2009] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
It is unresolved whether recently transmitted human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) have genetic features that specifically favour their transmissibility. To identify potential "transmission signatures", we compared 20 full-length HIV-1 subtype C genomes from primary infections, with 66 sampled from ethnically and geographically matched individuals with chronic infections. Controlling for recombination and phylogenetic relatedness, we identified 39 sites at which amino acid frequency spectra differed significantly between groups. These sites were predominantly located within Env, Pol and Gag (14/39, 9/39 and 6/39 respectively) and were significantly clustered (33/39) within known immunoreactive peptides. Within 6 months of infection, we detected reversion-to-consensus mutations at 14 sites and potential CTL escape mutations at seven. Here we provide evidence that frequent reversion mutations probably allows the virus to recover replicative fitness which, together with immune escape driven by the HLA alleles of the new hosts, differentiate sequences from chronic infections from those sampled shortly after transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- F K Treurnicht
- Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine (IIDMM), Division of Medical Virology, University of Cape Town, South Africa
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Valentine LE, Loffredo JT, Bean AT, León EJ, MacNair CE, Beal DR, Piaskowski SM, Klimentidis YC, Lank SM, Wiseman RW, Weinfurter JT, May GE, Rakasz EG, Wilson NA, Friedrich TC, O'Connor DH, Allison DB, Watkins DI. Infection with "escaped" virus variants impairs control of simian immunodeficiency virus SIVmac239 replication in Mamu-B*08-positive macaques. J Virol 2009; 83:11514-27. [PMID: 19726517 PMCID: PMC2772717 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01298-09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2009] [Accepted: 08/20/2009] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
An understanding of the mechanism(s) by which some individuals spontaneously control human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/simian immunodeficiency virus replication may aid vaccine design. Approximately 50% of Indian rhesus macaques that express the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I allele Mamu-B*08 become elite controllers after infection with simian immunodeficiency virus SIVmac239. Mamu-B*08 has a binding motif that is very similar to that of HLA-B27, a human MHC class I allele associated with the elite control of HIV, suggesting that SIVmac239-infected Mamu-B*08-positive (Mamu-B*08+) animals may be a good model for the elite control of HIV. The association with MHC class I alleles implicates CD8+ T cells and/or natural killer cells in the control of viral replication. We therefore introduced point mutations into eight Mamu-B*08-restricted CD8+ T-cell epitopes to investigate the contribution of epitope-specific CD8+ T-cell responses to the development of the control of viral replication. Ten Mamu-B*08+ macaques were infected with this mutant virus, 8X-SIVmac239. We compared immune responses and viral loads of these animals to those of wild-type SIVmac239-infected Mamu-B*08+ macaques. The five most immunodominant Mamu-B*08-restricted CD8+ T-cell responses were barely detectable in 8X-SIVmac239-infected animals. By 48 weeks postinfection, 2 of 10 8X-SIVmac239-infected Mamu-B*08+ animals controlled viral replication to <20,000 viral RNA (vRNA) copy equivalents (eq)/ml plasma, while 10 of 15 wild-type-infected Mamu-B*08+ animals had viral loads of <20,000 vRNA copy eq/ml (P = 0.04). Our results suggest that these epitope-specific CD8+ T-cell responses may play a role in establishing the control of viral replication in Mamu-B*08+ macaques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E. Valentine
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53715, Section on Statistical Genetics, Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - John T. Loffredo
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53715, Section on Statistical Genetics, Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Alex T. Bean
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53715, Section on Statistical Genetics, Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Enrique J. León
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53715, Section on Statistical Genetics, Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Caitlin E. MacNair
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53715, Section on Statistical Genetics, Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Dominic R. Beal
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53715, Section on Statistical Genetics, Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Shari M. Piaskowski
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53715, Section on Statistical Genetics, Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Yann C. Klimentidis
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53715, Section on Statistical Genetics, Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Simon M. Lank
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53715, Section on Statistical Genetics, Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Roger W. Wiseman
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53715, Section on Statistical Genetics, Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Jason T. Weinfurter
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53715, Section on Statistical Genetics, Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Gemma E. May
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53715, Section on Statistical Genetics, Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Eva G. Rakasz
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53715, Section on Statistical Genetics, Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Nancy A. Wilson
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53715, Section on Statistical Genetics, Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Thomas C. Friedrich
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53715, Section on Statistical Genetics, Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - David H. O'Connor
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53715, Section on Statistical Genetics, Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - David B. Allison
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53715, Section on Statistical Genetics, Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - David I. Watkins
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53715, Section on Statistical Genetics, Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
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Brumme Z, Wang B, Nair K, Brumme C, de Pierres C, Reddy S, Julg B, Moodley E, Thobakgale C, Lu Z, van der Stok M, Bishop K, Mncube Z, Chonco F, Yuki Y, Frahm N, Brander C, Carrington M, Freedberg K, Kiepiela P, Goulder P, Walker B, Ndung’u T, Losina E. Impact of select immunologic and virologic biomarkers on CD4 cell count decrease in patients with chronic HIV-1 subtype C infection: results from Sinikithemba Cohort, Durban, South Africa. Clin Infect Dis 2009; 49:956-64. [PMID: 19663693 PMCID: PMC2777678 DOI: 10.1086/605503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The extent to which immunologic and clinical biomarkers influence human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection outcomes remains incompletely characterized, particularly for non-B subtypes. On the basis of data supporting in vitro HIV-1 protein-specific CD8 T lymphocyte responses as correlates of immune control in cross-sectional studies, we assessed the relationship of these responses, along with established HIV-1 biomarkers, with rates of CD4 cell count decrease in individuals infected with HIV-1 subtype C. METHODS Bivariate and multivariate mixed-effects models were used to assess the relationship of baseline CD4 cell count, plasma viral load, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I alleles, and HIV-1 protein-specific CD8 T cell responses with the rate of CD4 cell count decrease in a longitudinal population-based cohort of 300 therapy-naive, chronically infected adults with baseline CD4 cell counts >200 cells/mm(3) and plasma viral loads >500 copies/mL over a median of 25 months of follow-up. RESULTS In bivariate analyses, baseline CD4 cell count, plasma viral load, and possession of a protective HLA allele correlated significantly with the rate of CD4 cell count decrease. No relationship was observed between HIV-1 protein-specific CD8 T cell responses and CD4 cell count decrease. Results from multivariate models incorporating baseline CD4 cell counts (201-350 vs >350 cells/mm(3)), plasma viral load (< or =100,000 vs >100,000 copies/mL), and HLA (protective vs not protective) yielded the ability to discriminate CD4 cell count decreases over a 10-fold range. The fastest decrease was observed among individuals with CD4 cell counts >350 cells/mm(3) and plasma viral loads >100,000 copies/mL with no protective HLA alleles (-59 cells/mm(3) per year), whereas the slowest decrease was observed among individuals with CD4 cell counts 201-350 cells/mm(3), plasma viral loads < or =100,000 copies/mL, and a protective HLA allele (-6 cells/mm(3) per year). CONCLUSIONS The combination of plasma viral load and HLA class I type, but not in vitro HIV-1 protein-specific CD8 T cell responses, differentiates rates of CD4 cell count decrease in patients with chronic subtype-C infection better than either marker alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zabrina Brumme
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Boston MA, USA
| | - Bingxia Wang
- Program in HIV Outcomes Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA, USA
| | - Kriebashne Nair
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban South Africa
| | - Chanson Brumme
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Boston MA, USA
| | - Chantal de Pierres
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban South Africa
| | - Shabashini Reddy
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban South Africa
| | - Boris Julg
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Boston MA, USA
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban South Africa
| | - Eshia Moodley
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban South Africa
| | - Christina Thobakgale
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban South Africa
| | - Zhigang Lu
- Program in HIV Outcomes Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA, USA
| | - Mary van der Stok
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban South Africa
| | - Karen Bishop
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban South Africa
| | - Zenele Mncube
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban South Africa
| | - Fundisiwe Chonco
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban South Africa
| | - Yuko Yuki
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, SAIC-Frederick, Inc., NCI-Frederick, Frederick, MD
| | - Nicole Frahm
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Boston MA, USA
| | - Christian Brander
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Boston MA, USA
| | - Mary Carrington
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, SAIC-Frederick, Inc., NCI-Frederick, Frederick, MD
| | - Kenneth Freedberg
- Program in HIV Outcomes Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA, USA
| | - Photini Kiepiela
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban South Africa
| | - Philip Goulder
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Boston MA, USA
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban South Africa
- Department of Pediatrics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford, UK
| | - Bruce Walker
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Boston MA, USA
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban South Africa
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Thumbi Ndung’u
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Boston MA, USA
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban South Africa
| | - Elena Losina
- Program in HIV Outcomes Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA, USA
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Burgers WA, Riou C, Mlotshwa M, Maenetje P, de Assis Rosa D, Brenchley J, Mlisana K, Douek DC, Koup R, Roederer M, de Bruyn G, Karim SA, Williamson C, Gray CM. Association of HIV-specific and total CD8+ T memory phenotypes in subtype C HIV-1 infection with viral set point. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2009; 182:4751-61. [PMID: 19342652 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.0803801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Understanding early immunological events during HIV-1 infection that may set the course of disease progression is important for identifying correlates of viral control. This study explores the association of differentiation profiles of HIV-specific and total memory CD8(+) T cells with viral set point. A cohort of 47 HIV-1-infected individuals, with differing viral set points at 12 mo, were recruited during acute infection. We identified that the magnitude of IFN-gamma(+) T cell responses at 6 mo postinfection did not associate with viral set point at 12 mo. A subset of 16 individuals was further studied to characterize CD8(+) T cells for expression patterns of markers for memory differentiation, survival (CD127), senescence (CD57), and negative regulation (programmed death-1). We show that viral control and the predicted tempo of HIV disease progression in the first year of infection was associated with a synchronous differentiation of HIV-specific and total CD8(+) memory subpopulations. At 6-9 mo postinfection, those with low viral set points had a significantly higher proportion of early differentiated HIV-specific and total memory CD8(+) cells of a central memory (CD45RO(+)CD27(+)CCR7(+)) and intermediate memory (CD45RO(-)CD27(+)CCR7(-)) phenotype. Those with high viral set points possessed significantly larger frequencies of effector memory (CD45RO(+)CD27(-)CCR7(-)) cells. The proportions of memory subsets significantly correlated with CD38(+)CD8(+) T cells. Thus, it is likely that a high Ag burden resulting in generalized immune activation may drive differentiation of HIV-specific and total memory CD8(+) T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy A Burgers
- Division of Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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