Abstract
HLA-B*4801 is frequently found in Asian populations but rarely in Caucasian or African populations. Although HLA-B*4801-restricted human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) epitopes would be useful for acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) vaccine development in Asia, they have not been reported so far. In the present study, we sought to identify HLA-B*4801-restricted HIV-1 epitopes by using 17-mer overlapping peptides derived from HIV-1 Gag, Pol, and Nef as well as 8- to 11-mer truncated peptides, and thereby identified two HLA-B*4801-restricted Gag epitopes. These epitope-specific CD8(+) T cells strongly responded to HIV-1-infected cells expressing HLA-B*4801, confirming that these Gag epitopes were endogenously presented by HLA-B*4801. These epitope-specific CD8(+) T cells were elicited in five of the seven tested chronically HIV-1-infected individuals with HLA-B*4801, suggesting them to be immunodominant epitopes. These epitopes will be useful for the studies of AIDS immunopathogenesis and the development of an HIV-1 vaccine in Asia.
Publication types
-
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
-
Asian People
-
CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
-
CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
-
Cell Line, Transformed
-
Epitope Mapping
-
HIV Infections / blood
-
HIV Infections / immunology*
-
HIV-1 / immunology*
-
HLA-B Antigens / immunology
-
HLA-B Antigens / metabolism
-
Humans
-
Immunodominant Epitopes / chemistry
-
Immunodominant Epitopes / immunology*
-
Interferon-gamma / metabolism
-
Lymphocyte Activation
-
Peptides / chemical synthesis
-
Peptides / immunology
-
Peptides / metabolism*
-
gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / chemistry
-
gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / immunology
-
gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / metabolism*
-
nef Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / chemistry
-
nef Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / immunology
-
nef Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / metabolism
-
pol Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / chemistry
-
pol Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / immunology
-
pol Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / metabolism
Substances
-
HLA-B Antigens
-
Immunodominant Epitopes
-
Peptides
-
gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
-
nef Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
-
nef protein, Human immunodeficiency virus 1
-
pol Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
-
Interferon-gamma