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Query: UMLS:C0019693 (HIV)
170,526 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Design of a synthetic vaccine for HIV requires basic knowledge of the structure of helper and cytotoxic T-cell epitopes and neutralizing antibody epitopes, of ways to couple these to produce an effective immunogen, and of the role of viral sequence variation on MHC presentation of antigen. T-cell recognition, and cross-reactivity. We have been addressing all these issues for the HIV envelope and more recently also for the reverse transcriptase. We have now identified antigenic sites or epitopes from HIV envelope and reverse transcriptase recognized by cytotoxic T cells from both mice and humans in association with murine class I H-2 and human class I HLA antigens, as well as epitopes recognized by helper T cells in association with class II MHC molecules from both mice and humans. We have identified residues affecting interaction of peptides with MHC molecules and T-cell receptors and have examined the role of viral variability on presentation of these peptides by MHC molecules and recognition by T cells. One CTL epitope peptide was found to be presented by class II MHC molecules as well as class I MHC molecules and to be able to elicit CD4+ helper cells to aid in the induction of CD8+ CTL against the same peptide. One of the helper epitope peptides has been shown to be a powerful carrier for inducing neutralizing antibodies, and we have shown in rhesus monkeys that some of these helper peptides are immunogenic in primates and can elicit helper T cells that greatly augment the antibody response to a challenge in vivo with a suboptimal dose of HIV envelope protein compared to monkeys not given peptides, as one would want a vaccine to do. We have also identified multideterminant regions of the HIV-1 envelope and have made peptides corresponding to these that elicit helper T-cell responses in a large fraction of mouse strains and of outbred humans, as an approach to overcoming the problem of genetic restriction of T-cell responses. We have also developed a way of using purified recombinant proteins to elicit cytotoxic T cells in vivo by immunizing with the proteins incorporated into ISCOMs, and this method could be applied to an artificial vaccine as well. Some of these peptides should be candidates for immunotherapy trials in HIV-infected humans, as well as for vaccine development and diagnostic use.
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PMID:Progress toward an artificial vaccine for HIV: identification of helper and cytotoxic T-cell epitopes and methods of immunization. 172 61

Human T cells can express MHC-class II products and were shown to be potential antigen-presenting cells. However, they are unable to capture the antigen and only antigens, which bind to T cell membranes such as the gp120 glycoprotein of HIV, are internalized, processed, and presented by T cells. To better understand the role of T cells as antigen-presenting cells, we established a method which overcomes the lack of antigen capture by T cells. Antigen (tetanus toxoid, TT) or an antigenic peptide of TT (residue 830-843, P2) was coupled to antibodies directed to T cell surface molecules such as CD2, CD4, CD8. Antibody/TT and antibody/P2 constructs stimulated P2-specific T cell clones in the absence of accessory cells, if the antibody recognized a T cell surface structure. Compared to the peptide alone, a 100-500 times lower molar concentration of the antibody/peptide construct was required to achieve a similar proliferative response. T cell stimulation via the constructs involved intracellular processing, as nonspecific, glutaraldehyde fixed T cell lines pulsed with the constructs could present the peptide and processing inhibitors like Leupeptin or Chloroquine inhibited the development of a proliferative response to the constructs. Our data underline the ability of T cells to function as antigen-processing and -presenting cells and show that antibody/antigen or antibody/peptide constructs are able to direct a certain antigen or peptide to a T cell. Antibody/peptide constructs may be interesting tools to better understand antigen processing and to study the consequences of antigen presentation by different cells.
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PMID:Use of antibody/peptide constructs of direct antigenic peptides to T cells: evidence for T cell processing and presentation. 172 68

PBMC cocultured with HIV-infected monocytes for 12 to 48 h released high levels of IFN activity. IFN titers were directly dependent upon time after virus infection and level of HIV replication in infected cells. IFN induction in PBMC was evident with HIV-infected monocytes and PBMC and with myeloid and lymphoblastoid cell lines with at least three different HIV strains. In HIV-infected cell line pairs in which virus infection occurs in both productive and restricted forms, IFN induction in PBMC occurred only with productive infection. IFN activity was acid stable and completely neutralized by antibodies against IFN-alpha. Induction of IFN required cell-cell contact between HIV-infected cells and PBMC, but was independent of MHC compatibility. With PBMC co-cultured with autologous HIV-infected monocytes, IFN induction was highly selective: IL-1 beta, IL-6, or TNF-alpha activity and mRNA were not detected. Cell surface determinants on HIV-infected monocytes that induced IFN in PBMC remained active after fixation in 4% paraformaldehyde. Both adherent and nonadherent PBMC produced IFN after coculture with HIV-infected monocytes. Ability to produce IFN by PBMC was not affected by depletion of T cell, NK cell, B cell, or monocyte subpopulations. The IFN activity produced by PBMC cocultured with HIV-infected cells was about 20-fold less active than equal quantities of rIFN-alpha 2b for inhibition of HIV replication in monocytes and at low concentrations enhanced virus growth. Clinical studies with HIV-infected patients and parallel findings in animal lentivirus disease suggest an adverse role for IFN in disease progression. Conditions for induction of IFN in the culture system described in this report may mimic those in the HIV-infected patient. Defining the molecular basis for IFN induction, the cells that produce IFN, and the altered biologic activity of this important cytokine may provide insight into the pathogenesis of HIV disease.
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PMID:Induction of IFN-alpha in peripheral blood mononuclear cells by HIV-infected monocytes. Restricted antiviral activity of the HIV-induced IFN. 172 62

Infection of Human organism by Human Immunodeficiency viruses induces, after a shorter or a longer period, a complex immune Deficiency (ID) that has been named Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Although the designation is not correct, it has been accepted by the scientific community. AIDS includes multiple clinical situations that have in common HIV infection and an almost constant ID, that at the end of natural course of infection manifestated by the presence of opportunistic infections and malignant tumors. HIV-1 and HIV-2 are slow RNA viruses with a common architecture and well known genomic organization. The characteristics that made HIV infectious agent n. 1 in XXth Century are their remarkable heterogeneity, close AA sequence homology between some of their proteins and relevant molecules in human beings: MHC molecules, IL-2, VIP, etc. and a strong affinity of gp 120 to CD4 receptor of T helper lymphocytes (T4), mononuclear phagocytes, natural killer cells, etc. all of them sharing a relevant role in normal immune response (IR). Affected in its cornerstones of cellular defense, human organism starts an immune defense through antibodies, cytotoxic T Lymphocytes (CTL) Natural Killer Cells (NK) antibody dependent cell cytotoxicity (ADCC), that fails. Activating immune system HIV turn that defense strategy to their own profit and enhanced replication. After an apparent latency period--in which the balance seems to favor the host--new viral variants arise due to high rate of HIV mutagenesis, that in turn stimulate immune system, induce new cycles of viral replication and new high virulent mutants, leading to the final collapse of Immune System.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:[Immunologic aspects of HIV infection]. 180 34

Four synthetic peptides corresponding to the IIIB sequence of gp160 of HIV were recently reported to stimulate Th cell function by PBL from HIV-infected, asymptomatic patients. In the present report, we used these same peptides to demonstrate CTL activity in a similar patient population. EBV-transformed B-cell lines from asymptomatic, HIV seropositive and seronegative control donors were pre-incubated with the peptides. Fresh PBL from 19 (76%) of 25 HIV seropositive donors lysed autologous targets pulsed with at least one of the four peptides. Autologous targets pulsed with two non-immunogenic peptides were not lysed. PBL from none of the eight HIV seronegative controls lysed peptide-preincubated autologous targets. The CTL activity was mediated by T cells, was predominantly MHC class I restricted, and was increased by in vitro restimulation of PBL with the peptides. HLA A-2 was identified as a restricting element for all four peptides in different patients, and for three of the peptides in the same donor. HLA-A1 or -B8 may also present some of the peptides. Thus, the same peptides can be recognized by human Th cells and class I MHC-restricted CTL.
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PMID:Detection of cytotoxic T lymphocytes specific for synthetic peptides of gp160 in HIV-seropositive individuals. 182 20

In order to highlight the underlying mechanism(s) of the CD8 lymphocyte expansion in the HIV infection, two distinct CD8 subsets were analysed: T CD8bright+ CD3+ with MHC-restricted activity, and non-T CD8dim+ CD3-, which performs natural killer (NK) activity. It consists of a cross-sectional study including 168 HIV-infected patients (74 CDC stage II, 48 CDC stage III and 46 CDC stage IV) compared among them and to 60 healthy individuals. We observed an expansion of CD8+ CD3+ cells which masks a depletion of CD8+ CD3-. The comparative study showed that the expansion of the CD8+ CD3+ is relatively higher than that of total CD8+ lymphocytes and that the depletion of the CD8+ CD3- subset is severe, begins early and remains constant through the HIV progression. The comparison of CD4/CD8 and CD4/CD8+ CD3+ ratios showed that the latter could possibly be a better indicator in the HIV infection. The mechanism of inverted CD4/CD8 ratio in healthy individuals was also clarified. The CD8+ CD3+, CD8+ CD3- and CD4/CD8+ CD3+ parameters would be more specific markers than total CD8 and CD4/CD8 ratio especially in therapy trials.
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PMID:Dichotomy of two CD8+ lymphocyte subsets in HIV infection. Depletion of CD8+ CD3- and expansion of CD8+ CD3+ subsets: consequence on the CD4/CD8 ratio. 183 98

Recombinant soluble CD4 (sT4) has been shown to inhibit infectivity of HIV. Because of the role CD4 plays in the interaction of T-helper lymphocytes and cells bearing MHC Class II antigens, a potential adverse effect of therapy with sT4 is interference with lymphocyte function. To address this issue, we studied the effects of sT4 on mitogen-mediated blastogenesis, mixed lymphocyte reactions, and delayed type hypersensitivity reactions (DTH) in cynomolgus monkeys. We found no evidence of sT4-mediated suppression on the in vitro response to concanavalin A, phytohemagglutinin or pokeweed mitogen in 2-way mixed lymphocyte reactions, either when sT4 was added to the cultures or when cells were obtained 3 hr after drug administration from animals that received up to 100 mg/kg as an intravenous bolus. Furthermore, we also found no effect of sT4 on lymphocyte subsets or on the ability of monkeys to respond to dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-mediated DTH. Because of the high degree of conservation of CD4 and MHC Class II antigens across the macaque-human barrier, these data suggest that soluble CD4-like molecules are unlikely to be immunosuppressive in humans.
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PMID:Recombinant human soluble CD4 does not inhibit immune function in cynomolgus monkeys. 184 Apr 60

The predominant antienvelope cell-mediated cytotoxicity in HIV-1-infected patients is a direct form of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) in which circulating NK/K cells armed with cytophilic antibodies comprise a cytolytic effector cell complex capable of destroying HIV-1-expressing targets. This non-MHC-restricted form of virus-specific cytotoxicity is present in most infected patients, with maximum activity in early disease, gradually declining with disease progression. This endogenous cytotoxicity provides a focal point in the design of interventive strategies involving immune-based therapies. In the first such attempts, the lymphokine interleukin-2 has been employed in an effort to augment these potentially beneficial cytolytic reactivities. The focus of this article is to present the rationale, early clinical results, and future direction of such therapeutic approaches and, in doing so, to illustrate how careful basic research findings can be applied to the design of rational therapeutic strategies.
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PMID:Anti-HIV-1 ADCC: clinical and therapeutic implications. 184 18

Retroviral vectors encoding HIV-1 proteins, in particular, the envelope from HIV-1 IIIB, have been constructed and used to generate infectious vector particles. Murine cells transduced with these vectors express HIV proteins. Vector-transduced cells, when injected into syngeneic BALB/c mice, induce potent CD8+, class I MHC-restricted cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses and elicit the production of neutralizing antibody specific for HIV-1. The induction of similar responses in primates may provide the basis for considering the use of these vectors as immunostimulants in humans. The retroviral vectors or vector-transduced cells would probably be first employed as an immunotherapeutic for HIV-infected individuals.
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PMID:Induction of anti-HIV-1 immune responses by retroviral vectors. 184 20

Mucosal candidiasis is one of the first opportunistic diseases in HIV-infected subjects. In order to understand the relationship between this disease and immunodeficiency to chemically defined, immunodominant Candida antigens, a mannoprotein fraction from C. albicans cell wall (GMP) was used to analyse proliferative and non-MHC-restricted cytotoxic responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from normal and HIV-infected subjects. In the former, GMP induced extensive blastogenesis, generation of powerful cytotoxicity against a tumour cell line (K562), and production of substantial amounts of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). Cultured PBMC from HIV-infected subjects manifested an early decreased ability for proliferative as well as differentiative cytotoxic responses to the candidal mannoproteins. This inability became clearly evident in subjects with stage III (CDC) of the disease, was total in CDC stage IV and occurred even in some subjects with a normal number of CD4+ cells. Low or absent response to GMP correlated with lack of response to tetanus toxoid. In contrast, both lymphoproliferative and cytotoxic responses to exogenous IL-2 was highly preserved at all stages of infection. The production of IFN-gamma in GMP-stimulated PBMC cultures critically fell to negligible values in most of the subjects in CDC stages II and III. Thus, the lowered or absent cell-mediated immune responses to candidal mannoprotein may be one factor to explain the early, elevated susceptibility of HIV-infected subjects to mucosal candidiasis. This study also shows that our mannoprotein preparation may be used as a probe to detect the overall efficiency of T cell responses in the above subjects.
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PMID:Proliferative and cytotoxic responses to mannoproteins of Candida albicans by peripheral blood lymphocytes of HIV-infected subjects. 189 30


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