Direct ex vivo detection of HLA-DR3-restricted cytomegalovirus- and Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific CD4+ T cells.

In order to detect epitope-specific CD4+ T cells in mycobacterial or viral infections in the context of human class II major histocompatibility complex protein human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR3, two HLA-DR3 tetrameric molecules were successfully produced. One contained an immunodominant HLA-DR3-restricted T-cell epitope derived from the 65-kDa heat-shock protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, peptide 1-13. For the other tetramer, we used an HLA-DR3-restricted T-cell epitope derived from cytomegalovirus (CMV) pp65 lower matrix protein, peptide 510-522, which induced high levels of interferon (IFN)-gamma-producing CD4+ T cells in three of four HLA-DR3-positive CMV-seropositive individuals up to 0.84% of CD4+ T cells by intracellular cytokine staining. In peripheral blood mononuclear cells from M. tuberculosis-exposed, Mycobacterium bovis bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-vaccinated, or CMV-seropositive individuals, we were able to directly detect with both tetramers epitope-specific T cells up to 0.62% and 0.45% of the CD4+ T-cell population reactive to M. tuberculosis and CMV, respectively. After a 6-day culture with peptide p510-522, the frequency of CMV-specific tetramer-binding T cells was expanded up to 9.90% tetramer+ CFSElow (5,6-carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester) cells within the CD4+ T-cell population, further confirming the specificity of the tetrameric molecules. Thus, HLA-DR3/peptide tetrameric molecules can be used to investigate HLA-DR3-restricted antigen-specific CD4+ T cells in clinical disease or after vaccination.

Dynamics of cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific T cells in HIV-1-infected individuals progressing to AIDS with CMV end-organ disease.

BACKGROUND: Since cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection can cause serious clinical complications in immunocompromised individuals, we assessed cellular immune requirements for protection against CMV end-organ disease (CMV-EOD) in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. METHODS: Longitudinal samples from HIV-1-infected patients in the Amsterdam cohort were analyzed. Dynamics of CMV-specific CD8(+) and CD4(+) T cell responses were analyzed by 4-color fluorescence analysis using major histocompatibility class I CMV peptide-tetramers and by intracellular staining for perforin, granzyme B, and interferon (IFN)- gamma after stimulation with CMV-specific stimuli. CMV load was measured in parallel. RESULTS: In individuals progressing to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome with CMV-EOD, CMV-specific IFN- gamma -producing CD4(+) T cells disappeared during the year before onset of CMV-EOD. This disappearance was accompanied by a sharp increase in CMV load before onset of disease. Despite increasing CMV-specific CD8(+) T cell counts, decreasing CMV-specific IFN- gamma -producing CD8(+) T cell counts were found over time. In contrast, the percentage of CMV-specific perforin- and granzyme B-expressing CD8(+) T cells increased. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that insufficient help of CD4(+) T cells may cause loss of IFN- gamma -producing CD8(+) T cells and loss of control of CMV dissemination. Increasing CMV-infected cell counts in the face of high CMV-specific perforin- and granzyme B-expressing CD8(+) T cell counts may explain the immune pathological characteristics of CMV disease.