Human immunodeficiency virus-1 gag specific CD8+ T cell responses in long-term nonprogressors and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients

Objective: To investigate the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 gag specific CD(8)(+) T cell responses in long-term nonprogressors (LTNP) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients in China.

Methods: 7 LTNP and 9 AIDS patients were included in this study. 11 peptide pools derived from 125 overlapping peptides spanning the full-length of HXB2 gag were used as antigens. HIV-1 specific CD(8)(+) T cell responses in these patients were examined by interferon gamma ELISPOT assay, and investigated the relationship between HIV-1 gag specific CD(8)(+) T cell responses and CD(+) T cell counts and the relationship between specific CD(8)(+) T cell responses and viral loads.

Results: HXB2 could induce HIV-1 specific CD(8)(+) T cell responses in Chinese HIV/AIDS patients. The strengths of HIV-1 gag specific CD(8)(+) T cell responses in LTNP and AIDS groups were (1212 +/- 796) SFC/10(6) PBMC and (182 +/- 203) SFC/10(6) PBMC, respectively. The breadths of HIV-1 gag specific CD(8)(+) T cell responses of LTNP group and AIDS group were 3.0 +/- 0.8 and 0.8 +/- 0.7, respectively. The values of these two parometers in LTNP group were significantly higher than that in AIDS group (P < 0.01). There was a positive relationship between the strength or the breadth of HIV-1 specific CD(8)(+) T cell responses and CD(4)(+) T cell counts, whereas there was a negative relationship between strength or breadth of CD(8)(+) T cell responses and viral loads.

Conclusions: There was a cross-reactivity between dominant HIV strain in Europe and America and those in China. HIV-1 gag specific CD(8)(+) T cell responses may play a protection role during disease progression.