AEGiS-06IAC: Cytotoxic T lymphocyte response to HIV in homosexual men with known duration of infection.

6th International AIDS Conference

San Francisco, California, USA — June 20-23, 1990

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte response to HIV in homosexual men with known duration of infection.

Int Conf AIDS 1990 Jun 20-23; 6:335 (abstract no. 1087)
Rinaldo CR, Torpey DJ 3d, Faruki H, Liebmann J; University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

OBJECTIVE: To assess cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity against major HIV antigens in homosexual men with timed duration of infection.

METHODS: Blood mononuclear cells were obtained from homosexual men in the Pittsburgh portion of the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study who had known times of seroconversion to HIV. The cells were tested for cytotoxic activity in a 6 hr 51Cr-release assay using autologous B cell lines infected with vaccinia vectors containing gag, pol or env genes (HIV strain IIIb; courtesy of B. Moss; NIH). Data were expressed as percent antigen-specific lysis at a 50:1, effector:target ratio.

RESULTS: CTL activity was detected in all subjects against each HIV antigen, with a median of 6.0% (range, 1.6-30.8%) for gag, 10.5% (range, 7.8-26.9%) for pol, and 16.5% (range, 3.8-34.4%) for env. Depletion of CD16+ natural killer cells resulted in no significant loss of lytic activity. Anti-HIV CTL activity was detectable as early as 18 months and as late as 64 months after documented seroconversion to HIV.

CONCLUSIONS: No associations have yet been noted between anti-HIV CTL responses and duration of infection or blood T cell counts in our cohort of predominantly asymptomatic homosexual men. Further studies are in progress to assess CTL activity in additional HIV seroconverters using HIV-vaccinia recombinant constructs and HIV peptides recognized as major CTL determinants.

Keywords: AEGIS, T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic, HIV Antigens, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Infection, Killer Cells, Natural, Human, Male, complications, ICA6

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