Virus-specific CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocyte activity associated with control of viremia in primary human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection

P Borrow, H Lewicki, BH Hahn, GM Shaw… - Journal of …, 1994 - Am Soc Microbiol
P Borrow, H Lewicki, BH Hahn, GM Shaw, MB Oldstone
Journal of virology, 1994Am Soc Microbiol
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Env-, Gag-, Pol-, Nef-, and Tat-specific
cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) activities were quantitated temporally in five patients with
symptomatic primary HIV-1 infection. A dominant CD8 (+)-mediated, major histocompatibility
complex class I-restricted CTL response to the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein, gp160, was
noted in four of the five patients studied. The level of HIV-1-specific CTL activity in the five
patients paralleled the efficiency of control of primary viremia. Patients who mounted strong …
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Env-, Gag-, Pol-, Nef-, and Tat-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) activities were quantitated temporally in five patients with symptomatic primary HIV-1 infection. A dominant CD8(+)-mediated, major histocompatibility complex class I-restricted CTL response to the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein, gp160, was noted in four of the five patients studied. The level of HIV-1-specific CTL activity in the five patients paralleled the efficiency of control of primary viremia. Patients who mounted strong gp160-specific CTL responses showed rapid reduction of acute plasma viremia and antigenemia, while in contrast, primary viremia and antigenemia were poorly controlled in patients in whom virus-specific CTL activity was low or undetectable. These results suggest that HIV-1-specific CTL activity is a major component of the host immune response associated with the control of virus replication following primary HIV-1 infection and have important implications for the design of antiviral vaccines.
American Society for Microbiology