CD8+ T lymphocyte responses target functionally important regions of Protease and Integrase in HIV-1 infected subjects

Rodriguez, Addo, Rathod Almas, Fitzpatrick, Yu, Perkins Beth, Rosenberg, Altfeld Marcus, Walker

Description

CD8+ T cell responses are known to be important to the control of HIV-1 infection. While responses to reverse transcriptase and most structural and accessory proteins have been extensively studied, CD8 T cell responses specifically directed to the HIV-1 enzymes Protease and Integrase have not been well characterized, and few epitopes have been described in detail. Methods We assessed comprehensively the CD8 T cell responses to synthetic peptides spanning Protease and Integrase in 56 HIV-1 infected subjects with acute, chronic, or controlled infection using IFN-γ-Elispot assays and intracellular cytokine staining. Fine-characterization of novel CTL epitopes was performed on peptide-specific CTL lines in Elispot and 51 Chromium-release assays. Results Thirteen (23%) and 38 (68%) of the 56 subjects had detectable responses to Protease and Integrase, respectively, and together these targeted most regions within both proteins. Sequence variability analysis confirmed that responses cluster largely around conserved regions of Integrase, but responses against a large, highly conserved region of the N-terminal DNA-binding domain of Integrase were not readily detected. CD8 T cell responses targeted regions of Protease that contain known Protease inhibitor mutation residues, but strong Protease-specific CD8 T cell responses were rare. Fine-mapping of targeted epitopes allowed the identification of three novel, HLA class I-restricted, frequently-targeted optimal epitopes. There were no significant correlations between CD8 T cell responses to Protease and Integrase and clinical disease category in the study subjects, nor was there a correlation with viral load. Conclusions These findings confirm that CD8 T cell responses directed against HIV-1 include potentially important functional regions of Protease and Integrase, and that pharmacologic targeting of these enzymes will place them under both drug and immune selection pressure.

Informations

• Publié par: biomed
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2004
• Nombre de lectures: 83
• Langue: English

Extrait

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Abstract Background: CD8+ T cell responses are known to be important to the control of HIV-1 infection. While responses to reverse transcript ase and most structural and accessory proteins have been extensively studied, CD8 T cell responses specifically directed to the HIV-1 enzymes Protease and Integrase have not been well charac terized, and few epitopes have been described in detail. Methods: We assessed comprehensively the CD8 T cell responses to synthetic peptides spanning Protease and Integrase in 56 HIV-1 infected subje cts with acute, chronic, or controlled infection using IFN-γ -Elispot assays and intracellular cytokine st aining. Fine-characterization of novel CTL epitopes was performed on peptide-specific CTL lines in Elispot and 51 Chromium-release assays. Results: Thirteen (23%) and 38 (68%) of the 56 subje cts had detectable responses to Protease and Integrase, respectively, and together these targeted most re gions within both proteins. Sequence variability analysis conf irmed that responses cluster largely ar ound conserved regions of Integrase, but responses against a large, highly conserved region of the N-terminal DNA-binding domain of Integrase were not readily dete cted. CD8 T cell responses targ eted regions of Protease that contain known Protease inhibitor mutation resi dues, but strong Protease-specific CD8 T cell responses were rare. Fine-mapping of targeted ep itopes allowed the identi fication of three novel, HLA class I-restricted, frequently -targeted optimal epitopes. There were no significant correlations between CD8 T cell responses to Protease and Inte grase and clinical disease category in the study subjects, nor was there a co rrelation with viral load. Conclusions: These findings confirm that CD8 T cell responses directed a gainst HIV-1 include potentially important functional re gions of Protease and Integrase, and that pharmacologic targeting of these enzymes will place them under bo th drug and immune selection pressure.

Address: 1 Partners AIDS Research Center, Massachu setts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA, 2 Harvard Division of AIDS, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA and 3 Howard Hughes Medical Instit ute, Charlestown, MA, USA  Email: William R Rodriguez - [e-mail]; Marylyn M Addo - [e-mail]; Alma s Rathod - [e-mail]; Cecily A Fitzpatrick - cfitzpatrick@zone mail.net; Xu G Yu - [e-mail]; Beth Perkins - [e-mail]; Eric S Rosenberg - [e-mail]; Marcus Altfeld - M [e-mail]; Bruce D Walker* - [e-mail] * Corresponding author †Equal contributors

Published: 21 May 2004 Received: 26 February 2004 Journal of Translational Medicine 2004, 2 :15 Accepted: 21 May 2004 This article is available from: http://www. translational-medicine.com/content/2/1/15 © 2004 Rodriguez et al; licensee BioMed Centra l Ltd. This is an Open Access article: verbatim copying and re distribution of this article are permitted in all media for any purpose, provided this notice is preserved along with the article's original URL.

Research Open Access CD8+ T lymphocyte responses target functionally important regions of Protease and Integra se in HIV-1 infected subjects William R Rodriguez †1,2 , Marylyn M Addo †1,2 , Almas Rathod 1 , Cecily A Fitzpatrick 1 , Xu G Yu 1 , Beth Perkins 1 , Eric S Rosenberg 1 , Marcus Altfeld 1,2 and Bruce D Walker* 1,2,3

Journal of Translational Medicine Bio Med   Central