Virus-specific CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocyte activity associated with control of viremia in primary human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection

TLDR

The study quantified temporal CTL responses to Env, Gag, Pol, Nef, and Tat proteins in five patients with symptomatic primary HIV‑1 infection. Strong gp160‑specific CTL responses correlated with rapid decline of plasma viremia, indicating that HIV‑1‑specific CTL activity is a key factor in controlling primary viremia and informs vaccine design.

Abstract

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Env-, Gag-, Pol-, Nef-, and Tat-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) activities were quantitated temporally in five patients with symptomatic primary HIV-1 infection. A dominant CD8(+)-mediated, major histocompatibility complex class I-restricted CTL response to the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein, gp160, was noted in four of the five patients studied. The level of HIV-1-specific CTL activity in the five patients paralleled the efficiency of control of primary viremia. Patients who mounted strong gp160-specific CTL responses showed rapid reduction of acute plasma viremia and antigenemia, while in contrast, primary viremia and antigenemia were poorly controlled in patients in whom virus-specific CTL activity was low or undetectable. These results suggest that HIV-1-specific CTL activity is a major component of the host immune response associated with the control of virus replication following primary HIV-1 infection and have important implications for the design of antiviral vaccines.