SIMIAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (SIV)-SPECIFIC CD8(-LYMPHOCYTE RESPONSES OF NAIVE AND VACCINATED CYNOMOLGUS MACAQUES INFECTED WITH SIVMAC32H(J5) - QUANTITATIVE-ANALYSIS BY IN-VITRO ANTIGENIC-STIMULATION() CYTOTOXIC T)

Detailed analyses of simian immunodeficiency virus (SN)-specific cytot oxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses bz vaccinated and infected macaques may help to clarify the role of CTL immunity in protection against len tiviruses, Here, the optimal conditions for the measurement of SN Gag- specific CTL were investigated by bulk and limiting dilution assays of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from naive and vaccinated c ynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) infected with SIVmac32H(J5). In vitro restimulation was generally required for CTL detection. Selec tive activation of CD8(+) and MHC-restricted SN Gag-specific CTL was i nduced by stimulation with autologous para-formaldehyde-fixed B-lympho blastoid cell lines infected with a recombinant vaccinia virus express ing SN Gag, Applied to limiting dilution assays, antigenic stimulation reproducibly demonstrated SIV Gag-specific CTL precursors (CTLp) in P BMC of all animals studied including those lacking significant respons es in standard bulk CTL assays. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.