Cell-mediated immunity against HGP-30, a group-specific peptide of HIV p17 in individuals infected with the AIDS virus

Abstract HGP-30, the synthetic peptide analogue and active component in an HIV-1 (human immunodeficiency virus, type 1) p 17 core-based experimental vaccine, has previously been shown to induce cytotoxic and helper T-Lymphocyte responses. In order to further define the T-helper cell responses which are known to play a role in enhancing the immunological response to foreign antigens, we studied the response of individuals infected with HIV to HGP-30 at various stages of disease progression. We have investigated the proliferative cellular response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) derived from individuals infected with HIV-1 to HGP-30. We have found a PBMC proliferative response to HGP-30 in 40% of the healthy seroconverted patients, in 35% of the CDC stage III patients and in 18% of the CDC stage IV patients. There was no correlation between the proliferative response to HGP-30 and other antigens such as HIV-like proteins or tetanus tcxoid not to CD4 cell count. HLA-DR typing revealed the possible presentation of HGP-30 by several different class II molecules. Since these class II molecules occur frequently in the general population, HGP-30 appears to contain broadly reactive epitopes and thus is not restricted as are many peptide vaccines. Due to its broad reactivity and extreme conservation in many HIV-1 strains, HGP-30 is one of the promising candidates for inclusion as a subunit vaccine against HIV-1. human immunodeficiency virus / HIV-1 / HGP-30 / peptide / vaccine