AUTOLOGOUS STRAIN-SPECIFIC CYTOLYTIC T-LYMPHOCYTE RESPONSES DIRECTED AGAINST HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TYPE-1 ENV

The Env glycoprotein of human immunodeficiency virus is critical for t he pathogenesis of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, and has bee n the prime target for candidate HIV-1 vaccines, Cytolytic T lymphocyt es (CTLs) may be important for tile immunologic control of HIV infecti on and HIV-1 Env-specific cytolytic T cells have been isolated from in fected individuals and seronegative recipients of HIV-1 vaccines, Most prior studies have used assays that detect Env-specific CTLs directed against standard laboratory viral variants, These studies may be limi ted because the Env proteins of these laboratory strains (for example, LAI and MN) may differ significantly from the Env proteins from prima ry HIV-1 strains, and a single amino acid change can abrogate the reco gnition of HIV-1 Env by some CTL clones, Therefore, this study measure d CTL activity directed against HIV-1 Env representing the infected in dividual's (autologous) HIV-1 viral variants, For two HIV-l-infected i ndividuals, recombinant vaccina viruses expressing cloned HIV-1 env ge nes were constructed, Using an in vitro stimulation method, strain-spe cific CTL activity directed against autologous HIV-1 Env was detected in both individuals, From one subject, strain-specific CTL clones dire cted against autologous and HIV-1(LAI) Env were characterized, Therefo re, some infected individuals have Env-specific CTLs directed against autologous strains of HIV-1, Detection and characterization of autolog ous Env-specific CTL activity may have important implications relative to the current HIV-1 vaccine development strategies focusing on Env d erived from laboratory strains of HIV-1.