Human endogenous retrovirus K(HML-2) Gag- and Env-specific T-cell responses are infrequently detected in HIV-1-infected subjects using standard peptide matrix-based screening.
R Brad Jones, Vivek M John, Diana V Hunter, Eric Martin, Shariq Mujib, Vesna Mihajlovic, Peter C Burgers, Theo M Luider, Gabor Gyenes, Neil C Sheppard, Devi Sengupta, Ravi Tandon, Feng-Yun Yue, Erika Benko, Colin Kovacs, Douglas F Nixon, Mario A Ostrowski
Author Information
R Brad Jones: Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. brad.jones@utoronto.ca
T-cell responses to human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) K(HML-2) Gag and Env were mapped in HIV-1-infected subjects using 15 mer peptides. Small peptide pools and high concentrations were used to maximize sensitivity. In the 23 subjects studied, only three bona fide HERV-K(HML-2)-specific responses were detected. At these high peptide concentrations, we detected false-positive responses, three of which were mapped to an HIV-1 Gag peptide contaminant. Thus, HERV-K(HML-2) Gag- and Env-specific T-cell responses are infrequently detected by 15 mer peptide mapping.
References
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1999 Nov 9;96(23):13404-8
[PMID: 10557333]
