6th International AIDS Conference


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

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Identification of T cell antigenic epitopes of HIV by proliferative responses to synthetic peptides of the env glycoproteins.

Int Conf AIDS 1990 Jun 20-23; 6:335 (abstract no. 1086)
Spina CA, Terry L, Rosen J, McCutchan JA, Richman DD; University of California at San Diego, San Diego, Ca., USA

OBJECTIVE: To determine if defined peptides of HIV-1 can be recognized as antigenic epitopes in assays of cell proliferation for T(H) cell response.

METHODS: Synthetic peptide oligomers (15-mers) based on the deduced amino acid sequence of gp41 and gp120 were tested for the ability to induce a specific proliferative response in peripheral blood lymphocytes from HIV-seropositive donors. Study subjects were homosexual men with minimal symptoms of ARC, not receiving any antiviral therapy. T cell proliferative responses were determined by quantitation of 3H-thymidine uptake in a 7-day microculture assay, in the presence or absence of exogenous rIL-2. Response to HIV peptides was compared to response to a positive control antigen, Herpes simplex virus (HSV).

RESULTS: Because it can be difficult to accurately predict immunogenic epitopes based on biochemical models alone, we chose to screen peptides covering the entire sequences of gp41 and gp120. Initially, peptide mixtures of three 15-mers were used to test for a positive proliferative response. If a peptide group gave a high rate of response, the individual peptides within that group were then tested on another series of subjects. It was found that approximately 30% of the HIV-infected subjects showed a positive proliferative response (SI greater than or equal to 2) to three regions within gp41 and one region within gp120. Of the subjects tested with gp41 peptides, 8/11 (73%) showed a positive response to at least one peptide group/region, and all 8 subjects had a positive response (SI greater than or equal to 4) to the control HSV antigen. By examining individual peptides, 4 peptides of gp41 and 2 peptides of gp120 were identified as epitopes responsible for the observed positive proliferative responses in the majority of individuals tested.

CONCLUSION: Our studies demonstrate that defined synthetic peptides can be recognized as T cell antigenic epitopes by cells from HIV-infected subjects. These peptides may provide valuable tools in the development and evaluation of subunit or recombinant vaccines for HIV, and for the study of specific cellular immune responses to HIV.

Keywords: AEGIS, Gene Products, env, HIV, Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte, Peptides, HIV-1, Epitopes, T-Lymphocytes, HIV Antibodies, HIV Seropositivity, HIV Antigens, AIDS-Related Complex, HIV Infections, HIV Core Protein p24, Human, Male, ICA6KWDaegis,geneproducts,env,hiv,epitopes,t-lymphocyte,peptides,hiv-1,epitopes,t-lymphocytes,hivantibodies,hivseropositivity,hivantigens,aids-relatedcomplex,hivinfections,hivcoreproteinp24,human,male,ica6

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