Analysis of 'driver' and 'passenger' CD8+ T-cell responses against variable viruses.

ABSTRACT: Variable viruses, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV), persist despite host immune responses directed against them. Numerous lines of evidence have suggested that antiviral CD8+ T-cell responses are key among these immune responses, but these vary widely in their ability to contain virus. We propose that only a proportion of responses may exert significant antiviral pressure ('driver' responses), leading to control over viral replication (protection) and/or, ultimately, selection of escape mutants. Another set of responses may exert only weak pressure on the virus ('passenger' responses): these neither protect nor select. To examine this we have analysed (using established databases of HIV and HCV sequences and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes, and p

SUBMITTER: Zafiropoulos A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1809984 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature