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Ex Vivo Interferon‐γ Response to Human Immunodefiency Virus‐1 Derived Peptides in Human Immunodeficiency Virus‐1 Infected Patients
Author(s) -
Hober,
Benyoucef,
Wassim Chehadeh,
D. De Groote,
De La Tribonnière,
; Mouton,
Wattré
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.934
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3083
pISSN - 0300-9475
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-3083.2000.00707.x
Subject(s) - antigen , epitope , gp41 , virology , virus , interferon , immune system , ex vivo , in vivo , in vitro , biology , cytokine , whole blood , immunology , hiv antigens , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , viral disease , biochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology
The pattern of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐1 antigen‐activated production of interferon (IFN)‐γ by immunocompetent cells of HIV‐1 infected patients has been studied using a simplified assay combining a small volume (25 μl) of whole blood stimulation with various HIV‐1 antigens, and cytokine measurement in the same wells of microtitre plates (enzyme‐linked immunotrapping assay, ELITA). The levels of IFN‐γ were higher using this assay than in the supernatant from stimulated whole blood cultures, therefore ELITA was used in the rest of the study. Specific immune responses to HIV‐1 proteins (gp120, p24) and synthetic peptides derived from these proteins and from gp41 were detected in patients, but not in healthy controls. Decreased levels of IFN‐γ were observed in CDC class B ( n = 5) and C ( n = 4), compared with CDC class A ( n = 5), following HIV‐1 antigen‐specific challenge. The positive response of cells from different patients to overlapping peptides of p25 (amino acids 329–344 and 335–351) was suggestive of a new epitope of HIV‐1 gag recognized by T cells in the overlap region. In conclusion, the difference in in vitro antigen‐specific T‐cell responses of HIV‐1‐infected patients was shown using the ELITA method. Our results raise the possibility of using this method in screening specific antigens in HIV‐1 infection.