ISOLATION AND UTILIZATION OF HUMAN DENDRITIC CELLS FROM PERIPHERAL-BLOOD TO ASSAY AN IN-VITRO PRIMARY IMMUNE-RESPONSE TO VARICELLA-ZOSTER VIRUS PEPTIDES

A human dendritic cell-based assay used to monitor a T cell proliferat ion response to viral peptides in vitro is described. Dendritic cells and autologous CD4(+) T cells were isolated from peripheral blood by a series of density-gradient centrifugations or magnetic bead separatio ns (or both). Peptides corresponding to residues of the immediate earl y protein, IE62, of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) were used as stimulat ing antigens, and persons with no history of varicella and no humoral or cellular immunity to VZV served as naive donors for the assays. Thr ee VZV-susceptible donors were tested, and all demonstrated an in vitr o response to multiple VZV peptides, This assay has potential as a scr een to establish the immunogenicity of viral antigens in vitro using T cells from naive donors.