In vivo induction of a high-avidity, high-frequency cytotoxic T-lymphocyte response is associated with antiviral protective immunity

Citrullinated Epitopes Identified on Tumour MHC Class II by Peptide Elution Stimulate Both Regulatory and Th1 Responses and Require Careful Selection for Optimal Anti-Tumour Responses

Background

Somatic mutations or post-translational modifications of proteins result in changes that enable immune recognition. One such post-translational modification is citrullination, the conversion of arginine residues to citrulline. Citrullinated peptides are presented on MHC class II (MHCII) via autophagy which is upregulated by cellular stresses such as tumourigenesis.

Methods

Peptides were eluted from B16 melanoma expressing HLA-DP4 and analysed by mass spectrometry to profile the presented citrullinated repertoire. Initially, seven of the identified citrullinated peptides were used in combination to vaccinate HLA-DP4 transgenic mice. Immune responses were characterised from the combination and individual vaccines by ex vivo cytokine ELISpot assay and assessed for tumour therapy.

Results

The combination vaccine induced only weak anti-tumour therapy in the B16cDP4 melanoma model. Immune phenotyping revealed a dominant IFNγ response to citrullinated matrix metalloproteinase-21 peptide (citMMP21) and an IL-10 response to cytochrome p450 peptide (citCp450). Exclusion of the IL-10 inducing citCp450 peptide from the combined vaccine failed to recover a strong anti-tumour response. Single peptide immunisation confirmed the IFNγ response from citMMP21 and the IL-10 response from citCp450 but also showed that citrullinated Glutamate receptor ionotropic (citGRI) peptide stimulated a low avidity IFNγ response. Interestingly, both citMMP21 and citGRI peptides individually, stimulated strong anti-tumour responses that were significantly better than the combined vaccine. In line with the citGRI T cell avidity, it required high dose immunisation to induce an anti-tumour response. This suggests that as the peptides within the combined vaccine had similar binding affinities to MHC-II the combination vaccine may have resulted in lower presentation of each epitope and weak anti-tumour immunity.

Conclusion

We demonstrate that tumours present citrullinated peptides that can stimulate Th1 and regulatory responses and that competition likely exists between similar affinity peptides. Characterisation of responses from epitopes identified by peptide elution are necessary to optimise selection for tumour therapy.

TCR Dependent Metabolic Programming Regulates Autocrine IL-4 Production Resulting in Self-Tuning of the CD8+ T Cell Activation Setpoint

The ability of T cells to sense and respond to environmental cues by altering their functional capabilities is critical for a safe and optimally protective immune response. One of the important properties that contributes to this goal is the activation set-point of the T cell. Here we report a new pathway through which TCR transgenic OT-I CD8⁺ T cells can self-tune their activation threshold. We find that in the presence of a strong TCR engagement event there is a shift in the metabolic programming of the cell where both glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation are significantly increased. This diverges from the switch to a predominantly glycolytic profile that would be predicted following naïve T cell activation. Our data suggest this altered metabolic program results in the production of autocrine IL-4. Both metabolic pathways are required for this cytokine to be made. IL-4 signaling in the activated OT-I CD8⁺ T cell results in modulation of the sensitivity of the cell, establishing a higher activation setpoint that is maintained over time. Together these data demonstrate a novel mechanism for the regulation of IL-4 production in CD8⁺ T cells. Further, they reveal a new pathway for the self-tuning of peptide sensitivity. Finally, these studies uncover an unexpected role for oxidative phosphorylation in regulating differentiation in these cells.

Targeting gp100 and TRP-2 with a DNA vaccine: Incorporating T cell epitopes with a human IgG1 antibody induces potent T cell responses that are associated with favourable clinical outcome in a phase I/II trial

A DNA vaccine, SCIB1, incorporating two CD8 and two CD4 epitopes from TRP-2/gp100 was evaluated in patients with metastatic melanoma. Each patient received SCIB1 via intramuscular injection with electroporation. The trial was designed to find the safest dose of SCIB1 which induced immune/clinical responses in patients with or without tumour. Fifteen patients with tumor received SCIB1 doses of 0.4-8 mg whilst 20 fully-resected patients received 2-8 mg doses. Twelve patients elected to continue immunization every 3 months for up to 39 months. SCIB1 induced dose-dependent T cell responses in 88% of patients with no serious adverse effects or dose limiting toxicities. The intensity of the T cell responses was significantly higher in patients receiving 4 mg doses without tumor when compared to those with tumor (p < 0.01). In contrast, patients with tumor showed a significantly higher response to the 8 mg dose than the 4 mg dose (p < 0.03) but there was no significant difference in the patients without tumor. One of 15 patients with measurable disease showed an objective tumor response and 7/15 showed stable disease. 5/20 fully-resected patients have experienced disease recurrence but all remained alive at the cut-off date with a median observation time of 37 months. A positive clinical outcome was associated with MHC-I and MHC-II expression on tumors prior to therapy (p = 0.027). We conclude that SCIB1 is well tolerated and stimulates potent T cell responses in melanoma patients. It deserves further evaluation as a single agent adjuvant therapy or in combination with checkpoint inhibitors in advanced disease.

αβ TCR-mediated recognition: relevance to tumor-antigen discovery and cancer immunotherapy

αβ T lymphocytes sense perturbations in host cellular body components induced by infectious pathogens, oncogenic transformation, or chemical or physical damage. Millions to billions of these lymphocytes are generated through T-lineage development in the thymus, each endowed with a clonally restricted surface T-cell receptor (TCR). An individual TCR has the capacity to recognize a distinct "foreign" peptide among the myriad of antigens that the mammalian host must be capable of detecting. TCRs explicitly distinguish foreign from self-peptides bound to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. This is a daunting challenge, given that the MHC-linked peptidome consists of thousands of distinct peptides with a relevant nonself target antigen often embedded at low number, among orders of magnitude higher frequency self-peptides. In this Masters of Immunology article, I review how TCR structure and attendant mechanobiology involving nonlinear responses affect sensitivity as well as specificity to meet this requirement. Assessment of human tumor-cell display using state-of-the-art mass spectrometry physical detection methods that quantify epitope copy number can help to provide information about requisite T-cell functional avidity affording protection and/or therapeutic immunity. Future rational CD8 cytotoxic T-cell-based vaccines may follow, targeting virally induced cancers, other nonviral immunogenic tumors, and potentially even nonimmunogenic tumors whose peptide display can be purposely altered by MHC-binding drugs to stimulate immune attack.

Forward Vaccinology: CTL Targeting Based upon Physical Detection of HLA-Bound Peptides

Vaccine-elicited cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) recognizing conserved fragments of a pathogen's proteome could greatly impact infectious diseases and cancers. Enabling this potential are recent advances in mass spectrometry that identify specific target peptides among the myriad HLA-bound peptides on altered cells. Ultrasensitivity of these physical detection methods allows for the direct assessment of peptide presentation on small numbers of tissue-derived cells. In addition, concurrent advances in immunobiology suggest ways to induce CTLs with requisite functional avidity and tissue deployment. Elicitation of high-avidity resident-memory T cells through vaccination may shift the vaccinology paradigm both for preventive and therapeutic approaches to human disease control.

Peptide Dose and/or Structure in Vaccines as a Determinant of T Cell Responses

While T cells recognise the complex of peptide and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) at the cell surface, changes in the dose and/or structure of the peptide component can have profound effects on T cell activation and function. In addition, the repertoire of T cells capable of responding to any given peptide is variable, but broader than a single clone. Consequently, peptide parameters that affect the interaction between T cells and peptide/MHC have been shown to select particular T cell clones for expansion and this impacts on clearance of disease. T cells with high functional avidity are selected on low doses of peptide, while low avidity T cells are favoured in high peptide concentrations. Altering the structure of the peptide ligand can also influence the selection and function of peptide-specific T cell clones. In this review, we will explore the evidence that the choice of peptide dose or the structure of the peptide are critical parameters in an effective vaccine designed to activate T cells.

CD4+ T cell subset differentiation and avidity setpoint are dictated by the interplay of cytokine and antigen mediated signals

CD4(+) T cell differentiation has been shown to be regulated by the cytokine milieu present during activation as well as peptide MHC levels. However, the extent to which these two important regulatory signals work in concert to shape CD4(+) T cell function has not been investigated. Using a murine OT-II transgenic TCR model of in vitro differentiation, we demonstrate that the ability of CD4(+) T cells to commit to a distinct lineage, i.e. Th1 vs. Th2 vs. Th17, is restricted by the amount of peptide antigen present in the stimulating environment. In addition, whether cells succumb to inhibitory effects associated with high dose antigen is dependent on the array of cytokine signals encountered. Specifically, stimulation with high dose antigen in Th1 or Th17 conditions promoted efficient generation of functional cells, while Th2 polarizing conditions did not. Finally, we found that the peptide sensitivity of an effector cell was determined by the combined actions of cytokine and peptide level, with Th1 cells exhibiting the highest avidity, followed by Th17 and Th2 cells. Together, these data show that the interplay of antigen and cytokine signals shape both the differentiation fate and avidity setpoint of CD4(+) T cells.

Structural and functional correlates of enhanced antiviral immunity generated by heteroclitic CD8 T cell epitopes

Peptides that bind poorly to MHC class I molecules often elicit low-functional avidity T cell responses. Peptide modification by altering the anchor residue facilitates increased binding affinity and may elicit T cells with increased functional avidity toward the native epitope ("heteroclitic"). This augmented MHC binding is likely to increase the half-life and surface density of the heteroclitic complex, but precisely how this enhanced T cell response occurs in vivo is not known. Furthermore, the ideal heteroclitic epitope will elicit T cell responses that completely cross-react with the native epitope, maximizing protection and minimizing undesirable off-target effects. Such epitopes have been difficult to identify. In this study, using mice infected with a murine coronavirus that encodes epitopes that elicit high (S510, CSLWNGPHL)- and low (S598, RCQIFANI)-functional avidity responses, we show that increased expression of peptide S598 but not S510 generated T cells with enhanced functional avidity. Thus, immune responses can be augmented toward T cell epitopes with low functional avidity by increasing Ag density. We also identified a heteroclitic epitope (RCVIFANI) that elicited a T cell response with nearly complete cross-reactivity with native epitope and demonstrated increased MHC/peptide abundance compared with native S598. Structural and thermal melt analyses indicated that the Q600V substitution enhanced stability of the peptide/MHC complex without greatly altering the antigenic surface, resulting in highly cross-reactive T cell responses. Our data highlight that increased peptide/MHC complex display contributes to heteroclitic epitope efficacy and describe parameters for maximizing immune responses that cross-react with the native epitope.

Developing Combined HIV Vaccine Strategies for a Functional Cure

Increasing numbers of HIV-infected individuals have access to potent antiretroviral drugs that control viral replication and decrease the risk of transmission. However, there is no cure for HIV and new strategies have to be developed to reach an eradication of the virus or a natural control of viral replication in the absence of drugs (functional cure). Therapeutic vaccines against HIV have been evaluated in many trials over the last 20 years and important knowledge has been gained from these trials. However, the major obstacle to HIV eradication is the persistence of latent proviral reservoirs. Different molecules are currently tested in ART-treated subjects to reactivate these latent reservoirs. Such anti-latency agents should be combined with a vaccination regimen in order to control or eradicate reactivated latently-infected cells. New in vitro assays should also be developed to assess the success of tested therapeutic vaccines by measuring the immune-mediated killing of replication-competent HIV reservoir cells. This review provides an overview of the current strategies to combine HIV vaccines with anti-latency agents that could act as adjuvant on the vaccine-induced immune response as well as new tools to assess the efficacy of these approaches.

Emerging concepts in immunity to hepatitis C virus infection

Since the discovery of hepatitis C virus (HCV) by molecular cloning almost a quarter of a century ago, unprecedented at the time because the virus had never been grown in cell culture or detected serologically, there have been impressive strides in many facets of our understanding of the natural history of the disease, the viral life cycle, the pathogenesis, and antiviral therapy. It is apparent that the virus has developed multiple strategies to evade immune surveillance and eradication. This Review covers what we currently understand of the temporal and spatial immunological changes within the human innate and adaptive host immune responses that ultimately determine the outcomes of HCV infection.

In vivo modulation of avidity in highly sensitive CD8(+) effector T cells following viral infection

Numerous studies have demonstrated a critical role for T cell avidity in predicting in vivo efficacy. Even though the measurement of avidity is now a routine assessment for the analysis of effector and memory T cell populations, our understanding of how this property is controlled in vivo at both the population and individual cell levels is limited. Our previous studies have identified high avidity as a property of the initial effector population generated in mice following respiratory virus infection. As the response progresses, lower avidity cells appear in the effector pool. The studies described here investigate the mechanistic basis of this in vivo regulation of avidity. We present data supporting in vivo avidity modulation within the early high avidity responders that results in a population of lower avidity effector cells. Changes in avidity were correlated with decreased lck expression and increased sensitivity to lck inhibitors in effector cells present at late versus early times postinfection. The possibility of tuning within select individual effectors is a previously unappreciated mechanism for the control of avidity in vivo.

CD8αα Expression Marks Terminally Differentiated Human CD8+ T Cells Expanded in Chronic Viral Infection

The T cell co-receptor CD8αβ enhances T cell sensitivity to antigen, however studies indicate CD8αα has the converse effect and acts as a co-repressor. Using a combination of Thymic Leukemia (TL) antigen tetramer, which directly binds CD8αα, anti-CD161, and anti-Vα7.2 antibodies we have been able for the first time to clearly define CD8αα expression on human CD8 T cells subsets. In healthy controls CD8αα is most highly expressed by CD161 “bright” (CD161++) mucosal associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, with CD8αα expression highly restricted to the TCR Vα7.2+ cells of this subset. We also identified CD8αα-expressing populations within the CD161 “mid” (CD161+) and “negative” (CD161−) non-MAIT CD8 T cell subsets and show TL-tetramer binding to correlate with expression of CD8β at low levels in the context of maintained CD8α expression (CD8α+CD8β^low). In addition, we found CD161−CD8α+CD8β^low populations to be significantly expanded in the peripheral blood of HIV-1 and hepatitis B (mean of 47 and 40% of CD161− T cells respectively) infected individuals. Such CD8αα expressing T cells are an effector-memory population (CD45RA−, CCR7−, CD62L−) that express markers of activation and maturation (HLA-DR+, CD28−, CD27−, CD57+) and are functionally distinct, expressing greater levels of TNF-α and IFN-γ on stimulation and perforin at rest than their CD8α+CD8β^high counterparts. Antigen-specific T cells in HLA-B^∗4201+HIV-1 infected patients are found within both the CD161−CD8α+CD8β^high and CD161−CD8α+CD8β^low populations. Overall we have clearly defined CD8αα expressing human T cell subsets using the TL-tetramer, and have demonstrated CD161−CD8α+CD8β^low populations, highly expanded in disease settings, to co-express CD8αβ and CD8αα. Co-expression of CD8αα on CD8αβ T cells may impact on their overall function in vivo and contribute to the distinctive phenotype of highly differentiated populations in HBV and HIV-1 infection.

Influence of minor displacements in loops of the porcine parvovirus VP2 capsid on virus-like particles assembly and the induction of antibody responses

An antigen-delivery system based on hybrid virus-like particles (VLPs) formed by the self-assembly of the capsid VP2 protein of porcine parvovirus (PPV) and expressing foreign peptides offers an alternative method for vaccination. In this study, the three-dimensional structure of the PPV capsid protein and surface loops deletion mutants were analyzed to define essential domains in PPV VP2 for the assembly of VLPs. Electron microscopic analysis and SDS-PAGE analysis confirmed the presence of abundant VLPs in a loop2 deletion mutant of expected size and appropriate morphology. Loop4 and loop2-loop4 deletion mutants, however, resulted in a lower number of particles and the morphology of the particles was not well preserved. Furthermore, the green fluorescent protein (gfp) gene was used as a model. GFP was observed at the same level in displacements mutants. However, GFP displacement mutants in loop2 construct allowed better adaptation for the fusion GFP to be further displayed on the surface of the capsid-like structure. Immunogenicity study showed that there is no obvious difference in mice inoculated with rAd-VP2(Δloop2), rAd-VP2(Δloop4), rAd-VP2(Δloop2-Δloop4), and PPV inactivated vaccine. The results suggested the possibility of inserting simultaneously B and T cell epitopes in the surface loop2 and the N-terminus. The combination of different types of epitopes (B, CD4+, and CD8+) in different positions of the PPV particles opens the way to the development of highly efficient vaccines, able to stimulate at the same time the different branches of the immune system.

High avidity cytotoxic T lymphocytes can be selected into the memory pool but they are exquisitely sensitive to functional impairment

High avidity cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) are important in viral clearance and anti-tumor immunity, however, mechanisms for their optimal generation and maintenance in vivo remain unclear. Immunizing mice with an antibody-DNA vaccine encoding a single CTL epitope, induces a 100 fold higher avidity response than peptide vaccination with the identical epitope. The high avidity response is retained into memory and can be efficiently reactivated with an antibody-DNA boost. In contrast, reactivation of high avidity CTL with peptide, stimulated responses with a significant drop in avidity, suggesting loss or conversion of the high avidity CTL to lower avidity. Similarly, high avidity T cells maintained ex vivo were exquisitely sensitive to signaling with low doses of peptide (1 ng/ml) giving optimal TCR stimulation and resulting in retained avidity, proliferation and ability to kill specific targets. In contrast, high avidity T cells maintained ex vivo with supraoptimal TCR stimulation (10 µg/ml peptide) resulted in reduced avidity and failure to kill tumor cells. They also failed to proliferate, showed a significant increase in apoptosis and expressed high levels of the exhaustion marker programmed death-1 (PD-1) and low levels of the lymphocyte-activation gene 3 (LAG-3). This suggests high avidity T cells are recruited to the memory pool but can be lost by supraoptimal stimulation in vitro and in vivo. This is characterized by loss of function and an increase in cell death. The remaining CTL, exhibit low functional avidity that is reflected in reduced anti-tumor activity. This could contribute to failure of the immune system to control the growth of tumors and has implications for vaccination strategies and adoptive transfer of T cells.

Changes in functional but not structural avidity during differentiation of CD8+ effector cells in vivo after virus infection

By the peak of the CD8(+) T cell response, the effector cell pool consists of a heterogeneous population of cells that includes both those with an increased propensity to become long-lived memory cells (memory precursor effector cells; MPEC) and those that are terminally differentiated cells (short-lived effector cells; SLEC). Numerous studies have established the critical role that functional avidity plays in determining the in vivo efficacy of CD8(+) effector cells. Currently, how functional avidity differs in MPEC versus SLEC and the evolution of this property within these two populations during the expansion and contraction of the response are unknown. The data presented in this study show that at the peak of the effector response generated after poxvirus infection, SLEC were of higher functional avidity than their MPEC counterpart. Over time, however, SLEC exhibited a decrease in peptide sensitivity. This is in contrast to MPEC, which showed a modest increase in peptide sensitivity as the response reached equilibrium. The decrease in functional avidity in SLEC was independent of CD8 modulation or the amount of Ag receptor expressed by the T cell. Instead, the loss in sensitivity was correlated with decreased expression and activation of ZAP70 and Lck, critical components of TCR membrane proximal signaling. These results highlight the potential contribution of avidity in the differentiation and evolution of the T cell effector response after viral infection.

Enhanced cytotoxicity and decreased CD8 dependence of human cancer-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes after vaccination with low peptide dose

In mice, vaccination with high peptide doses generates higher frequencies of specific CD8+ T cells, but with lower avidity compared to vaccination with lower peptide doses. To investigate the impact of peptide dose on CD8+ T cell responses in humans, melanoma patients were vaccinated with 0.1 or 0.5 mg Melan-A/MART-1 peptide, mixed with CpG 7909 and Incomplete Freund's adjuvant. Neither the kinetics nor the amplitude of the Melan-A-specific CD8+ T cell responses differed between the two vaccination groups. Also, CD8+ T cell differentiation and cytokine production ex vivo were similar in the two groups. Interestingly, after low peptide dose vaccination, Melan-A-specific CD8+ T cells showed enhanced degranulation upon peptide stimulation, as assessed by CD107a upregulation and perforin release ex vivo. In accordance, CD8+ T cell clones derived from low peptide dose-vaccinated patients showed significantly increased degranulation and stronger cytotoxicity. In parallel, Melan-A-specific CD8+ T cells and clones from low peptide dose-vaccinated patients expressed lower CD8 levels, despite similar or even stronger binding to tetramers. Furthermore, CD8+ T cell clones from low peptide dose-vaccinated patients bound CD8 binding-deficient tetramers more efficiently, suggesting that they may express higher affinity TCRs. We conclude that low peptide dose vaccination generated CD8+ T cell responses with stronger cytotoxicity and lower CD8 dependence.

Vaccine efficacy against malaria by the combination of porcine parvovirus-like particles and vaccinia virus vectors expressing CS of Plasmodium

With the aim to develop an efficient and cost-effective approach to control malaria, we have generated porcine parvovirus-like particles (PPV-VLPs) carrying the CD8(+) T cell epitope (SYVPSAEQI) of the circumsporozoite (CS) protein from Plasmodium yoelii fused to the PPV VP2 capsid protein (PPV-PYCS), and tested in prime/boost protocols with poxvirus vectors for efficacy in a rodent malaria model. As a proof-of concept, we have characterized the anti-CS CD8(+) T cell response elicited by these hybrid PPV-VLPs in BALB/c mice after immunizations with the protein PPV-PYCS administered alone or in combination with recombinant vaccinia virus (VACV) vectors from the Western Reserve (WR) and modified virus Ankara (MVA) strains expressing the entire P. yoelii CS protein. The results of different immunization protocols showed that the combination of PPV-PYCS prime/poxvirus boost was highly immunogenic, inducing specific CD8+ T cell responses to CS resulting in 95% reduction in liver stage parasites two days following sporozoite challenge. In contrast, neither the administration of PPV-PYCS alone nor the immunization with the vectors given in the order poxvirus/VLPs was as effective. The immune profile induced by VLPs/MVA boost was associated with polyfunctional and effector memory CD8+ T cell responses. These findings highlight the use of recombinant parvovirus PPV-PYCS particles as priming agents and poxvirus vectors, like MVA, as booster to enhance specific CD8+ T cell responses to Plasmodium antigens and to control infection. These observations are relevant in the design of T cell-inducing vaccines against malaria.

Clonotype and repertoire changes drive the functional improvement of HIV-specific CD8 T cell populations under conditions of limited antigenic stimulation

Persistent exposure to cognate Ag leads to the functional impairment and exhaustion of HIV-specific CD8 T cells. Ag withdrawal, attributable either to antiretroviral treatment or the emergence of epitope escape mutations, causes HIV-specific CD8 T cell responses to wane over time. However, this process does not continue to extinction, and residual CD8 T cells likely play an important role in the control of HIV replication. In this study, we conducted a longitudinal analysis of clonality, phenotype, and function to define the characteristics of HIV-specific CD8 T cell populations that persist under conditions of limited antigenic stimulation. Ag decay was associated with dynamic changes in the TCR repertoire, increased expression of CD45RA and CD127, decreased expression of programmed death-1, and the emergence of polyfunctional HIV-specific CD8 T cells. High-definition analysis of individual clonotypes revealed that the Ag loss-induced gain of function within HIV-specific CD8 T cell populations could be attributed to two nonexclusive mechanisms: 1) functional improvement of persisting clonotypes; and 2) recruitment of particular clonotypes endowed with superior functional capabilities.

CTL responses of high functional avidity and broad variant cross-reactivity are associated with HIV control

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses targeting specific HIV proteins, in particular Gag, have been associated with relative control of viral replication in vivo. However, Gag-specific CTL can also be detected in individuals who do not control the virus and it remains thus unclear how Gag-specific CTL may mediate the beneficial effects in some individuals but not in others. Here, we used a 10mer peptide set spanning HIV Gag-p24 to determine immunogen-specific T-cell responses and to assess functional properties including functional avidity and cross-reactivity in 25 HIV-1 controllers and 25 non-controllers without protective HLA class I alleles. Our data challenge the common belief that Gag-specific T cell responses dominate the virus-specific immunity exclusively in HIV-1 controllers as both groups mounted responses of comparable breadths and magnitudes against the p24 sequence. However, responses in controllers reacted to lower antigen concentrations and recognized more epitope variants than responses in non-controllers. These cross-sectional data, largely independent of particular HLA genetics and generated using direct ex-vivo samples thus identify T cell responses of high functional avidity and with broad variant reactivity as potential functional immune correlates of relative HIV control.

Recombinant canine parvovirus-like particles express foreign epitopes in silkworm pupae

The capsid structural protein VP2 of canine parvovirus (CPV) can self-assemble into highly organized virus-like particles (VLPs) and retain major immunoreactivity. In this study, different recombinant baculoviruses that expressed varying fusion proteins of the CPV VP2 protein with the T cell determinant and/or the linear virus-neutralizing epitope of rabies virus (RV) were generated. Infection with these baculoviruses changed BmN cell morphology and inhibited their proliferation as well as damaged silkworms and pupae. However, infection with these baculoviruses induced high levels of recombinant protein expression in silkworms and pupae. More importantly, these fusion proteins self-assembled VLPs with properties similar to CPV virions and retained their VP2-specific immunoreactivity, but some retained their RV-specific immunoreactivity. Interestingly, only one fusion protein, T-VP2, maintained its haemagglutination activity. These data indicated that these insertions and replacements in the loop 2 of VP2 did not interfere with the formation of VLP, and silkworms and pupae could act as a low-costing bioreactor for the production of heterologous proteins. Therefore, our findings may provide a new framework for the development of subunit vaccines against RV and CPV.

Escape is a more common mechanism than avidity reduction for evasion of CD8+ T cell responses in primary human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection

Background

CD8+ T cells play an important role in control of viral replication during acute and early human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, contributing to containment of the acute viral burst and establishment of the prognostically-important persisting viral load. Understanding mechanisms that impair CD8+ T cell-mediated control of HIV replication in primary infection is thus of importance. This study addressed the relative extent to which HIV-specific T cell responses are impacted by viral mutational escape versus reduction in response avidity during the first year of infection.

Results

18 patients presenting with symptomatic primary HIV-1 infection, most of whom subsequently established moderate-high persisting viral loads, were studied. HIV-specific T cell responses were mapped in each individual and responses to a subset of optimally-defined CD8+ T cell epitopes were followed from acute infection onwards to determine whether they were escaped or declined in avidity over time. During the first year of infection, sequence variation occurred in/around 26/33 epitopes studied (79%). In 82% of cases of intra-epitopic sequence variation, the mutation was confirmed to confer escape, although T cell responses were subsequently expanded to variant sequences in some cases. In contrast, < 10% of responses to index sequence epitopes declined in functional avidity over the same time-frame, and a similar proportion of responses actually exhibited an increase in functional avidity during this period.

Conclusions

Escape appears to constitute a much more important means of viral evasion of CD8+ T cell responses in acute and early HIV infection than decline in functional avidity of epitope-specific T cells. These findings support the design of vaccines to elicit T cell responses that are difficult for the virus to escape.

Protective efficacy of serially up-ranked subdominant CD8+ T cell epitopes against virus challenges

Immunodominance in T cell responses to complex antigens like viruses is still incompletely understood. Some data indicate that the dominant responses to viruses are not necessarily the most protective, while other data imply that dominant responses are the most important. The issue is of considerable importance to the rational design of vaccines, particularly against variable escaping viruses like human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and hepatitis C virus. Here, we showed that sequential inactivation of dominant epitopes up-ranks the remaining subdominant determinants. Importantly, we demonstrated that subdominant epitopes can induce robust responses and protect against whole viruses if they are allowed at least once in the vaccination regimen to locally or temporally dominate T cell induction. Therefore, refocusing T cell immune responses away from highly variable determinants recognized during natural virus infection towards subdominant, but conserved regions is possible and merits evaluation in humans.

Memory and effector CD8 T-cell responses after nanoparticle vaccination of melanoma patients

Induction of cytotoxic CD8 T-cell responses is enhanced by the exclusive presentation of antigen through dendritic cells, and by innate stimuli, such as toll-like receptor ligands. On the basis of these 2 principles, we designed a vaccine against melanoma. Specifically, we linked the melanoma-specific Melan-A/Mart-1 peptide to virus-like nanoparticles loaded with A-type CpG, a ligand for toll-like receptor 9. Melan-A/Mart-1 peptide was cross-presented, as shown in vitro with human dendritic cells and in HLA-A2 transgenic mice. A phase I/II study in stage II-IV melanoma patients showed that the vaccine was well tolerated, and that 14/22 patients generated ex vivo detectable T-cell responses, with in part multifunctional T cells capable to degranulate and produce IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-2. No significant influence of the route of immunization (subcutaneous versus intradermal) nor dosing regimen (weekly versus daily clusters) could be observed. It is interesting to note that, relatively large fractions of responding specific T cells exhibited a central memory phenotype, more than what is achieved by other nonlive vaccines. We conclude that vaccination with CpG loaded virus-like nanoparticles is associated with a human CD8 T-cell response with properties of a potential long-term immune protection from the disease.

Increased sensitivity to antigen in high avidity CD8(+) T cells results from augmented membrane proximal T-cell receptor signal transduction

The functional avidity of a cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) is known to be a critical determinant of the efficacy with which it clears pathogens. High avidity cells, which are by definition highly sensitive to peptide antigen, are superior for elimination of viruses and tumours. Our studies have established the ability of T cells to undergo avidity modulation as a result of antigen encounter. High and low avidity cells established in this manner exhibit significant differences in the amount of peptide required to elicit effector function. However, how signalling is regulated in these cells as it relates to the control of peptide sensitivity remains to be defined. To address this question, we compared T-cell receptor (TCR) signal transduction events in high and low avidity CTL generated from OT-I(rag2-) TCR transgenic mice. Our data suggest that divergent signalling is initiated at the TCR-associated CD3ζ, with low avidity CTL requiring higher amounts of pMHC to achieve threshold levels of phosphorylated CD3ζ compared with high avidity CTL. Further, this difference is transduced further downstream to mitogen-activated protein kinase and Ca(2+) signalling pathways. These results suggest that regulated control of the initiation of TCR signalling in high versus low avidity cells determines the amount of peptide required for T-cell activation.

Current strategies for subunit and genetic viral veterinary vaccine development

Developing vaccines for livestock provides researchers with the opportunity to perform efficacy testing in the natural hosts. This enables the evaluation of different strategies, including definition of effective antigens or antigen combinations, and improvement in delivery systems for target antigens so that protective immune responses can be modulated or potentiated. An impressive amount of knowledge has been generated in recent years on vaccine strategies and consequently a wide variety of antigen delivery systems is now available for vaccine research. This paper reviews several antigen production and delivery strategies other than those based on the use of live viral vectors. Genetic and protein subunit vaccines as well as alternative production systems are considered in this review.

A highly optimized DNA vaccine confers complete protective immunity against high-dose lethal lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus challenge

Protection against infection is the hallmark of immunity and the basis of effective vaccination. For a variety of reasons there is a great demand to develop new, safer and more effective vaccine platforms. In this regard, while 'first-generation' DNA vaccines were poorly immunogenic, new genetic 'optimization' strategies and the application of in vivo electroporation (EP) have dramatically boosted their potency. We developed a highly optimized plasmid DNA vaccine that expresses the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) nucleocapsid protein (NP) and evaluated it using the LCMV challenge model, a gold standard for studying infection and immunity. When administered intramuscularly with EP, robust NP-specific cellular and humoral immune responses were elicited, the magnitudes of which approached those following acute LCMV infection. Furthermore, these responses were capable of providing 100% protection against a high-dose, normally lethal virus challenge. This is the first non-infectious vaccine conferring complete protective immunity up to 8 weeks after vaccination and demonstrates the potential of 'next-generation' DNA vaccines.

Mucosal immunity and HIV-1 infection: applications for mucosal AIDS vaccine development

Natural transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) occurs through gastrointestinal and vaginal mucosa. These mucosal tissues are major reservoirs for initial HIV replication and amplification, and the sites of rapid CD4(+) T cell depletion. In both HIV-infected humans and SIV-infected macaques, massive loss of CD4(+) CCR5(+) memory T cells occurs in the gut and vaginal mucosa within the first 10-14 days of infection. Induction of local HIV-specific immune responses by vaccines may facilitate effective control of HIV or SIV replication at these sites. Vaccines that induce mucosal responses, in particular CD8(+) cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), have controlled viral replication at mucosal sites and curtailed systemic dissemination. Thus, there is strong justification for development of next generation vaccines that induce mucosal immune effectors against HIV-1 including CD8(+) CTL, CD4(+) T helper cells and secretory IgA. In addition, further understanding of local innate mechanisms that impact early viral replication will greatly inform future vaccine development. In this review, we examine the current knowledge concerning mucosal AIDS vaccine development. Moreover, we propose immunization strategies that may be able to elicit an effective immune response that can protect against AIDS as well as other mucosal infections.

Molecularly defined vaccines for cancer immunotherapy, and protective T cell immunity

Malignant cells are frequently recognized and destroyed by T cells, hence the development of T cell vaccines against established tumors. The challenge is to induce protective type 1 immune responses, with efficient Th1 and CTL activation, and long-term immunological memory. These goals are similar as in many infectious diseases, where successful immune protection is ideally induced with live vaccines. However, large-scale development of live vaccines is prevented by their very limited availability and vector immunogenicity. Synthetic vaccines have multiple advantages. Each of their components (antigens, adjuvants, delivery systems) contributes specifically to induction and maintenance of T cell responses. Here we summarize current experience with vaccines based on proteins and peptide antigens, and discuss approaches for the molecular characterization of clonotypic T cell responses. With carefully designed step-by-step modifications of innovative vaccine formulations, T cell vaccination can be optimized towards the goal of inducing therapeutic immune responses in humans.

DNA vaccination with T-cell epitopes encoded within Ab molecules induces high-avidity anti-tumor CD8+ T cells

Stimulation of high-avidity CTL responses is essential for effective anti-tumor and anti-viral vaccines. In this study we have demonstrated that a DNA vaccine incorporating CTL epitopes within an Ab molecule results in high-avidity T-cell responses to both foreign and self epitopes. The avidity and frequency was superior to peptide, peptide-pulsed DC vaccines or a DNA vaccine incorporating the epitope within the native Ag. The DNA Ab vaccine was superior to an identical protein vaccine that can only cross-present, indicating a role for direct presentation by the DNA vaccine. However, the avidity of CTL responses was significantly reduced in Fc receptor gamma knockout mice or if the Fc region was removed suggesting that cross presentation of Ag via Fc receptor was also important in the induction of high-avidity CTL. These results suggest that generation of high-avidity CTL responses by the DNA vaccine is related to its ability to both directly present and cross-present the epitope. High-avidity responses were capable of efficient anti-tumor activity in vitro and in vivo. This study demonstrates a vaccine strategy to generate high-avidity CTL responses that can be used in anti-tumor and anti-viral vaccine settings.

In vivo delivery of antigens by adenovirus dodecahedron induces cellular and humoral immune responses to elicit antitumor immunity

Cancer vaccines based on virus-like particles (VLPs) vectors may offer many advantages over other antigen-delivery systems and represent an alternative to the ex vivo cell therapy approach. In this study, we describe the use of penton-dodecahedron (Pt-Dd) VLPs from human adenovirus type 3 (Ad3) as cancer vaccine vehicle for specific antigens, based on its unique cellular internalization properties. WW domains from the ubiquitin ligase Nedd4 serve as an adapter to bind the antigen to Pt-Dd. By engineering fusion partners of WW with the model antigen ovalbumin (OVA), Pt-Dd can efficiently deliver WW-OVA in vitro and the Pt-Dd/WW complex can be readily internalized by dendritic cells (DCs). Immunization with WW-OVA/Pt-Dd results in 90% protection against B16-OVA melanoma implantation in syngeneic mice. This high level of protection correlates with the development of OVA-specific CD8(+) T cells. Moreover, vaccination with WW-OVA Pt-Dd induces robust humoral responses in mice as shown by the high levels of anti-OVA antibodies (Abs) detected in serum. Importantly, treatment of mice bearing B16-OVA tumors with WW-OVA/Pt-Dd results in complete tumor regression in 100% of cases. Thus, our data supports a dual role of Pt-Dd as antigen-delivery vector and natural adjuvant, able to generate integrated cellular and humoral responses of broad immunogenic complexity to elicit specific antitumor immunity. Antigen delivery by Pt-Dd vector is a promising novel strategy for development of cancer vaccines with important clinical applications.

Conservation and diversity of influenza A H1N1 HLA-restricted T cell epitope candidates for epitope-based vaccines

BACKGROUND

The immune-related evolution of influenza viruses is exceedingly complex and current vaccines against influenza must be reformulated for each influenza season because of the high degree of antigenic drift among circulating influenza strains. Delay in vaccine production is a serious problem in responding to a pandemic situation, such as that of the current H1N1 strain. Immune escape is generally attributed to reduced antibody recognition of the viral hemagglutinin and neuraminidase proteins whose rate of mutation is much greater than that of the internal non-structural proteins. As a possible alternative, vaccines directed at T cell epitope domains of internal influenza proteins, that are less susceptible to antigenic variation, have been investigated.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

HLA transgenic mouse strains expressing HLA class I A*0201, A*2402, and B*0702, and class II DRB1*1501, DRB1*0301 and DRB1*0401 were immunized with 196 influenza H1N1 peptides that contained residues of highly conserved proteome sequences of the human H1N1, H3N2, H1N2, H5N1, and avian influenza A strains. Fifty-four (54) peptides that elicited 63 HLA-restricted peptide-specific T cell epitope responses were identified by IFN-gamma ELISpot assay. The 54 peptides were compared to the 2007-2009 human H1N1 sequences for selection of sequences in the design of a new candidate H1N1 vaccine, specifically targeted to highly-conserved HLA-restricted T cell epitopes.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

Seventeen (17) T cell epitopes in PB1, PB2, and M1 were selected as vaccine targets based on sequence conservation over the past 30 years, high functional avidity, non-identity to human peptides, clustered localization, and promiscuity to multiple HLA alleles. These candidate vaccine antigen sequences may be applicable to any avian or human influenza A virus.

T cell sensitivity and the outcome of viral infection

The importance of CD8(+) T cells in the control of viral infections is well established. However, what differentiates CD8(+) T cell responses in individuals who control infection and those who do not is not well understood. 'Functional sensitivity' describes an important quality of the T cell response and is determined in part by the affinity of the T cell receptor for antigen. A more sensitive T cell response is generally believed to be more efficient and associated with better control of viral infection, yet may also drive viral mutation and immune escape. Various in vitro techniques have been used to measure T cell sensitivity; however, rapid ex vivo analysis of this has been made possible by the application of the 'magic' tetramer technology. Such tools have potentially important applications in the design and evaluation of vaccines.

Effective simian immunodeficiency virus-specific CD8+ T cells lack an easily detectable, shared characteristic

The immune correlates of human/simian immunodeficiency virus control remain elusive. While CD8(+) T lymphocytes likely play a major role in reducing peak viremia and maintaining viral control in the chronic phase, the relative antiviral efficacy of individual virus-specific effector populations is unknown. Conventional assays measure cytokine secretion of virus-specific CD8(+) T cells after cognate peptide recognition. Cytokine secretion, however, does not always directly translate into antiviral efficacy. Recently developed suppression assays assess the efficiency of virus-specific CD8(+) T cells to control viral replication, but these assays often use cell lines or clones. We therefore designed a novel virus production assay to test the ability of freshly ex vivo-sorted simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-specific CD8(+) T cells to suppress viral replication from SIVmac239-infected CD4(+) T cells. Using this assay, we established an antiviral hierarchy when we compared CD8(+) T cells specific for 12 different epitopes. Antiviral efficacy was unrelated to the disease status of each animal, the protein from which the tested epitopes were derived, or the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I restriction of the tested epitopes. Additionally, there was no correlation with the ability to suppress viral replication and epitope avidity, epitope affinity, CD8(+) T-cell cytokine multifunctionality, the percentage of central and effector memory cell populations, or the expression of PD-1. The ability of virus-specific CD8(+) T cells to suppress viral replication therefore cannot be determined using conventional assays. Our results suggest that a single definitive correlate of immune control may not exist; rather, a successful CD8(+) T-cell response may be comprised of several factors.

Tricks with tetramers: how to get the most from multimeric peptide-MHC

The development of fluorochrome-conjugated peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) multimers in conjunction with continuing advances in flow cytometry has transformed the study of antigen-specific T cells by enabling their visualization, enumeration, phenotypic characterization and isolation from ex vivo samples. Here, we bring together and discuss some of the 'tricks' that can be used to get the most out of pMHC multimers. These include: (1) simple procedures that can substantially enhance the staining intensity of cognate T cells with pMHC multimers; (2) the use of pMHC multimers to stain T cells with very-low-affinity T-cell receptor (TCR)/pMHC interactions, such as those that typically predominate in tumour-specific responses; and (3) the physical grading and clonotypic dissection of antigen-specific T cells based on the affinity of their cognate TCR using mutant pMHC multimers in conjunction with new approaches to the molecular analysis of TCR gene expression. We also examine how soluble pMHC can be used to examine T-cell activation, manipulate T-cell responses and study allogeneic and superantigen interactions with TCRs. Finally, we discuss the problems that arise with pMHC class II (pMHCII) multimers because of the low affinity of TCR/pMHCII interactions and lack of 'coreceptor help'.

Age-related appearance of a CMV-specific high-avidity CD8+ T cell clonotype which does not occur in young adults

Old age is associated with characteristic changes of the immune system contributing to higher incidence and severity of many infectious diseases. Particularly within the T cell compartment latent infection with human Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is contributing to and accelerating immunosenescence. However, latent CMV infection and reactivation usually does not cause overt symptoms in immunocompetent elderly persons indicating immunological control of disease. Little is still known about the clonal composition of CMV-specific T cell responses in donors of different age. We therefore analyzed CD8⁺ T cells specific for an immunodominant pp65-derived nonamer-peptide (NLVPMVATV; CMV_NLV) in different age-groups. Independent of donor age CMV_NLV-specific CD8⁺ T cells preferentially use the V beta family 8. This family has monoclonal expansions in the majority of donors after stimulation of CD8⁺ T cells with the peptide. By sequencing the CDR3 region of the T cell receptor we demonstrated that CMV_NLV-specific, BV8⁺ CD8⁺ T cells share the conserved CDR3-sequence motif SANYGYT in donors of all age groups. Interestingly, a second conserved clonotype with the CDR3-sequence motif SVNEAF appears in middle-aged and elderly donors. This clonotype is absent in young individuals. The age-related clonotype SVNEAF binds to the pMHC-complex with higher avidity than the clonotype SANYGYT, which is predominant in young adults. The dominance of this high avidity clonotype may explain the lack of overt CMV-disease in old age.

Cutting edge: Dendritic cells prime a high avidity CTL response independent of the level of presented antigen

CTL that possess a high functional avidity are known to be optimal for the clearance of pathogens in vivo. We have shown that the amount of peptide encountered by a CD8+ CTL determines its functional avidity. Notably, in these studies nonprofessional APC were used. However, it is mature dendritic cells (DC) that are predominantly responsible for the activation of naive T cells in vivo. Whether DC also direct dose dependent-differences in avidity is unknown. In this work we examined the ability of mature DC presenting a high vs low level of peptide to generate CTL of distinct avidities. In contrast to what was observed with nonprofessional APC, CTL generated by stimulation with mature DC were of high avidity regardless of the amount of peptide presented. This DC property may promote generation of highly effective CTL that retain plasticity, which would allow the tuning of avidity in the periphery to promote optimal pathogen recognition and clearance.

CD8+ T cell efficacy in vaccination and disease

Much effort has been devoted to the design of vaccines that induce adaptive cellular immunity, in particular CD8+ T cells, which have a central role in the host response to viral infections and cancers. To date, however, the development of effective T cell vaccines remains elusive. This is due, in part, to the lack of clearly defined correlates of protection and the inherent difficulties that hinder full characterization of the determinants of successful T cell immunity in humans. Recent data from the disparate fields of infectious disease and tumor immunology have converged, with an emphasis on the functional attributes of individual antigen-specific T cell clonotypes, to provide a better understanding of CD8+ T cell efficacy. This new knowledge paves the way to the design of more effective T cell vaccines and highlights the importance of comprehensive immunomonitoring.

Immune activation and inflammation in HIV-1 infection: causes and consequences

Thorough research on HIV is progressively enabling us to understand the intricate mechanisms that link HIV-1 infection to the onset of immunodeficiency. The infection and depletion of CD4(+) T cells represent the most fundamental events in HIV-1 infection. However, in recent years, the role played by chronic immune activation and inflammation in HIV pathogenesis has become increasingly apparent: quite paradoxically, immune activation levels are directly associated with HIV-1 disease progression. In addition, HIV-1-infected patients present intriguing similarities with individuals of old age: their immune systems are characterized by a loss of regenerative capacity and an accumulation of ageing T cells. In this review, we discuss the potential reasons for the establishment of sustained immune activation and inflammation from the early stages of HIV-1 infection, as well as the long-term consequences of this process on the host immune system and health. A simplified model of HIV pathogenesis is proposed, which links together the three major facets of HIV-1 infection: the massive depletion of CD4(+) T cells, the paradoxical immune activation and the exhaustion of regenerative capacity.

Development of recombinant porcine parvovirus-like particles as an antigen carrier formed by the hybrid VP2 protein carrying immunoreactive epitope of porcine circovirus type 2

Virus-like particles (VLPs) are non-replicative vectors for delivery of heterologous epitopes and induction of immune responses. In this study, a self-assembled porcine parvovirus (PPV) VP2 capsid protein [PPV:VLP-(PCV2)] carrying immunoreactive epitopes, residues 165-200 from the Porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) virus nucleoprotein was constructed. Immunogenicity study was carried out with hybrid VLPs derived from HEK-293 cells infected with recombinant adenovirus vectors. To our knowledge, this study presents the first demonstration that hybrid non-replicative PPV VLPs carrying PCV2 immunoreactive epitopes can induce stronger antibody responses against PCV2 than recombinant adenovirus of PCV2 ORF2, in the absence of any adjuvant. The hybrid VLPs [PPV:VLP-(PCV2)] might be a promising candidate vaccine for better prevention of the diseases associated with PCV2 as well as with co-infection by PCV2 and PPV.

Epitope-specific TCRbeta repertoire diversity imparts no functional advantage on the CD8+ T cell response to cognate viral peptides

TCR repertoire diversity has been convincingly shown to facilitate responsiveness of CD8+ T cell populations to mutant virus peptides, thereby safeguarding against viral escape. However, the impact of repertoire diversity on the functionality of the CD8+ T cell response to cognate peptide-MHC class I complex (pMHC) recognition remains unclear. Here, we have compared TCRbeta chain repertoires of three influenza A epitope-specific CD8+ T cell responses in C57BL/6 (B6) mice: D(b)NP(366-374), D(b)PA(224-233), and a recently described epitope derived from the +1 reading frame of the influenza viral polymerase B subunit (residues 62-70) (D(b)PB1-F2(62)). Corresponding to the relative antigenicity of the respective pMHCs, and irrespective of the location of prominent residues, the D(b)PA(224)- and D(b)PB1-F2(62)-specific repertoires were similarly diverse, whereas the D(b)NP(366) population was substantially narrower. Importantly, parallel analysis of response magnitude, cytotoxicity, TCR avidity, and cytokine production for the three epitope-specific responses revealed no obvious functional advantage conferred by increased T cell repertoire diversity. Thus, whereas a diverse repertoire may be important for recognition of epitope variants, its effect on the response to cognate pMHC recognition appears minimal.

Increased cytotoxic T-lymphocyte epitope variant cross-recognition and functional avidity are associated with hepatitis C virus clearance

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) clearance has been associated with reduced viral evolution in targeted cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes, suggesting that HCV clearers may mount CTL responses with a superior ability to recognize epitope variants and prevent viral immune escape. Here, 40 HCV-infected subjects were tested with 406 10-mer peptides covering the vast majority of the sequence diversity spanning a 197-residue region of the NS3 protein. HCV clearers mounted significantly broader CTL responses of higher functional avidity and with wider variant cross-recognition capacity than nonclearers. These observations have important implications for vaccine approaches that may need to induce high-avidity responses in vivo.

Superior control of HIV-1 replication by CD8+ T cells is reflected by their avidity, polyfunctionality, and clonal turnover

The key attributes of CD8⁺ T cell protective immunity in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection remain unclear. We report that CD8⁺ T cell responses specific for Gag and, in particular, the immunodominant p24 epitope KK10 correlate with control of HIV-1 replication in human histocompatibility leukocyte antigen (HLA)–B27 patients. To understand further the nature of CD8⁺ T cell–mediated antiviral efficacy, we performed a comprehensive study of CD8⁺ T cells specific for the HLA-B27–restricted epitope KK10 in chronic HIV-1 infection based on the use of multiparametric flow cytometry together with molecular clonotypic analysis and viral sequencing. We show that B27-KK10–specific CD8⁺ T cells are characterized by polyfunctional capabilities, increased clonal turnover, and superior functional avidity. Such attributes are interlinked and constitute the basis for effective control of HIV-1 replication. These data on the features of effective CD8⁺ T cells in HIV infection may aid in the development of successful T cell vaccines.

Dose-dependent modulation of CD8 and functional avidity as a result of peptide encounter

The generation of an optimal CD8(+) cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response is critical for the clearance of many intracellular pathogens. Previous studies suggest that one contributor to an optimal immune response is the presence of CD8(+) cells exhibiting high functional avidity. In this regard, CD8 expression has been shown to contribute to peptide sensitivity. Here, we investigated the ability of naive splenocytes to modulate CD8 expression according to the concentration of stimulatory peptide antigen. Our results showed that the level of CD8 expressed was inversely correlated with the amount of peptide used for the primary stimulation, with higher concentrations of antigen resulting in lower expression of both CD8alpha and CD8beta. Importantly the ensuing CD8(low) and CD8(high) CTL populations were not the result of the selective outgrowth of naive CD8(+) T-cell subpopulations expressing distinct levels of CD8. Subsequent encounter with peptide antigen resulted in continued modulation of both the absolute level and the isoform of CD8 expressed and in the functional avidity of the responding cells. We propose that CD8 cell surface expression is not a static property, but can be modulated to 'fine tune' the sensitivity of responding CTL to a defined concentration of antigen.

Selective depletion of high-avidity human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-specific CD8+ T cells after early HIV-1 infection

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-specific CD8+ T cells in early infection are associated with the dramatic decline of peak viremia, whereas their antiviral activity in chronic infection is less apparent. The functional properties accounting for the antiviral activity of HIV-1-specific CD8+ T cells during early infection are unclear. Using cytokine secretion and tetramer decay assays, we demonstrated in intraindividual comparisons that the functional avidity of HIV-1-specific CD8+ T cells was consistently higher in early infection than in chronic infection in the presence of high-level viral replication. This change of HIV-1-specific CD8+ T-cell avidity between early and chronic infections was linked to a substantial switch in the clonotypic composition of epitope-specific CD8+ T cells, resulting from the preferential loss of high-avidity CD8+ T-cell clones. In contrast, the maintenance of the initially recruited clonotypic pattern of HIV-1-specific CD8+ T cells was associated with low-level set point HIV-1 viremia. These data suggest that high-avidity HIV-1-specific CD8+ T-cell clones are recruited during early infection but are subsequently lost in the presence of persistent high-level viral replication.