AEGiS-14IAC: Specific CD8+ cell response in primary HIV infection.

14th International AIDS Conference

Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

Specific CD8+ cell response in primary HIV infection.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. A10085)

Kamkamidze GK, Butsashvili MJ
Laboratory for Molecular Medicine, IDACIR Center., Tbilisi, Georgia

BACKGROUND: One of the mechanisms of failure of the immune response directed toward elimination of HIV from the human organism is thought to be the inadequate control of HIV replication by specific CD8+ T cells at the early stage of HIV infection.

METHODS: 7 patients with primary HIV infection (group 1) and 10 with asymptomatic HIV infection (group 2) had been included in the study. Primary HIV infection was diagnosed by positive polymerase chain reaction with negative serology and/or by incomplete Western blot. HIV-specific CD8+ T cell response was evaluated by IFN-γ enzyme linked immunospot assay using epitopic peptides derived from the sequences of the Env, Gag, Pol and Nef genes.

RESULTS: 5 subjects from the group 1 (71.4%) and 9 from the group 2 (90%) responded at least to 1 peptide. Gag peptides were recognized most frequently in the both groups. Frequency of recognition was higher in the group 2 in comparison with the group 1 ( p<0.05). Median of the total number of spot-forming cells in the group 1 was equal to 1150 versus 3850 in the group 2 (p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS: Relatively narrow CD8+ T cell response and weak reactivity of these cells contribute to the insufficient inhibition of HIV replication at the early stage of HIV infection.

Keywords: AEGIS, CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes, HIV Infections, Antigens, CD8, T-Lymphocytes, HIV Seropositivity, Virus Replication, Human, immunology, virology

020707
A10085