HIV-specific CD8+ T cell proliferation is coupled to perforin expression and is maintained in nonprogressors

SA Migueles, AC Laborico, WL Shupert… - Nature …, 2002 - nature.com
SA Migueles, AC Laborico, WL Shupert, MS Sabbaghian, R Rabin, CW Hallahan, DV Baarle
Nature immunology, 2002nature.com
It is unclear why immunological control of HIV replication is incomplete in most infected
individuals. We examined here the CD8+ T cell response to HIV-infected CD4+ T cells in
rare patients with immunological control of HIV. Although high frequencies of HIV-specific
CD8+ T cells were present in nonprogressors and progressors, only those of
nonprogressors maintained a high proliferative capacity. This proliferation was coupled to
increases in perforin expression. These results indicated that nonprogressors were …
Abstract
It is unclear why immunological control of HIV replication is incomplete in most infected individuals. We examined here the CD8+ T cell response to HIV-infected CD4+ T cells in rare patients with immunological control of HIV. Although high frequencies of HIV-specific CD8+ T cells were present in nonprogressors and progressors, only those of nonprogressors maintained a high proliferative capacity. This proliferation was coupled to increases in perforin expression. These results indicated that nonprogressors were differentiated by increased proliferative capacity of HIV-specific CD8+ T cells linked to enhanced effector function. In addition, the relative absence of these functions in progressors may represent a mechanism by which HIV avoids immunological control.
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