HUMAN IMMUNE-RESPONSE TO HIV-1 NEF .2. INDUCTION OF HIV-1 HIV-2 NEF CROSS-REACTIVE CYTOTOXIC T-LYMPHOCYTES IN PERIPHERAL-BLOOD LYMPHOCYTES OF NONINFECTED HEALTHY-INDIVIDUALS/

HIV-specific CD8(+) cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) are thought to have a beneficial role in HIV infection. In a previous report we have shown that HIV-1 Nef-specific CTL can be readily induced in peripheral bloo d lymphocytes of seronegative healthy young adults by in vitro stimula tion with autologous Epstein-Barr virus-transformed a lymphoblastoid c ell lines transfected with the HIV-1 nef gene. Here we demonstrate tha t these Nef-specific CTL can efficiently lyse HIV-infected primary CD4 (+) T lymphocytes. CTL of the blood donor tested were Nef-specific and restricted by the autologous MHC class I molecules HLA-A2 and HLA-B7. They recognized HIV-1 Nef in association with both restriction elemen ts but HIV-2 Nef only in association with HLA-B7. The cross-reactivity of the induced effector cells together with the potent immunogenicity of Nef in healthy seronegatives further support the inclusion of Nef as a constituent of HIV vaccines.