Open AccessScreening for HIV-specific T-cell responses using overlapping 15-mer peptide pools or optimized epitopes
Author(s) -
Tara Beattie,
Rupert Kaul,
Tim Rostron,
Tao Dong,
Philippa Easterbrook,
Walter Jaoko,
Joshua Kimani,
Francis A. Plummer,
Andrew McMichael,
Sarah RowlandJones
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
aids
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.195
H-Index - 216
eISSN - 1473-5571
pISSN - 0269-9370
DOI - 10.1097/01.aids.0000131362.82951.b2
Subject(s) - epitope , peptide , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , virology , lentivirus , biology , computational biology , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology , viral disease , antigen , biochemistry
The IFN-y enzyme-linked immunospot (ELI-Spot) assay is often used to map HIV-specific CD8 T-cell responses. We compared overlapping 15-mer pools with optimized CD8 epitopes to screen ELISpot responses in HIV-infected individuals. The 15-mer pools detected responses to previously undefined epitopes, but often missed low-level responses to predefined epitopes, particularly when the epitope was central in the 15-mer, rather than at the N-terminus or C-terminus. These factors should be considered in the monitoring of HIV vaccine trials.