Antigen load and viral sequence diversification determine the functional profile of HIV-1-specific CD8+ T cells.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Virus-specific CD8(+) T lymphocytes play a key role in the initial reduction of peak viremia during acute viral infections, but display signs of increasing dysfunction and exhaustion under conditions of chronic antigen persistence. It has been suggested that virus-specific CD8(+) T cells with a "polyfunctional" profile, defined by the capacity to secrete multiple cytokines or chemokines, are most competent in controlling viral replication in chronic HIV-1 infection. We used HIV-1 infection as a model of chronic persistent viral infection to investigate the process of exhaustion and dysfunction of virus-specific CD8(+) T cell responses on the single-epitope level over time, starting in primary HIV-1 infection.

Methods and findings

We longitudinally analyzed the pol

SUBMITTER: Streeck H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2365971 | biostudies-literature | 2008 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature