Screening for HIV-specific T-cell responses using overlapping 15-mer peptide pools or optimized epitopes.

Journal article

The IFN-y enzyme-linked immunospot (ELI-Spot) assay is often used to map HIV-specific CD8 T-cell responses. We compared overlapping 15-mer pools with optimized CD8 epitopes to screen ELISpot responses in HIV-infected individuals. The 15-mer pools detected responses to previously undefined epitopes, but often missed low-level responses to predefined epitopes, particularly when the epitope was central in the 15-mer, rather than at the N-terminus or C-terminus. These factors should be considered in the monitoring of HIV vaccine trials.

Authors: Beattie, T; Kaul, R; Rostron, T; Dong, T; Easterbrook, P

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: AIDS (London, England)
• Volume: 18
• Issue: 11
• Pages: 1595-1598
• Publication date: 2004-07-01
• DOI: 10.1097/01.aids.0000131362.82951.b2
• EISSN: 1473-5571
• ISSN: 0269-9370
• Language: English
• Keywords: Genes, gag; HIV-1; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Interferon-gamma; Humans; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Epitopes; HIV Infections