CELLULAR IMMUNITY IN HIV-1 AND HIV-2 INFECTIONS

艾滋病已经在世界范围内流行开来。HIV-2感染是 西非的地方病，尽管它的进程较慢，它的传播 效率较低。感染HIV-2可能具有保护作用 随后感染艾滋病毒-1。据报道，还有一群人 暴露于HIV-1和HIV-2但血清仍为阴性的人 HIV特异性CTL活性。CTL已被证明是一个重要的宿主 它与病毒血症的初步控制有关。 原发HIV-1感染。这里要检验的假设是HIV-2 感染引起细胞免疫反应，从而提供保护 重叠感染HIV-1和接触HIV-2可导致保护性 细胞免疫反应，而不是持续感染。特指 这项研究的目的是：1)表征HIV-2的CTL反应 并确定这些病毒的交叉反应性 对HIV-1的反应。2)识别识别的免疫原性表位 HIV-2特异性CTL，并绘制该反应所针对的表位。3)至 确定HIV-2感染者的CD8细胞或CTL克隆是否可以 体外抑制HIV-1和HIV-2复制。4)确定艾滋病毒是否 暴露于血清阴性的暴露人群有HIV特异性CTL或CD8抑制 回应。

AIDS has reached epidemic proportions worldwide. HIV-2 infection is endemic in West Africa although its course is slower and its transmission less effective. Infection with HIV-2 may be protective against subsequent infection with HIV-1. Also reported is a group of people who are exposed to HIV-1 and HIV-2 yet remained seronegative and who possess HIV-specific CTL activity. CTL have been shown to be an important host defense and is associated with the initial control of viremia during primary HIV-1 infection. The hypothesis to be tested here is that HIV-2 infection elicits cellular immune responses that confer protection from superinfection with HIV-1 and that HIV-2 exposure can lead to protective cellular immune responses rather than persistent infection. Specifically the aims of this study are: 1) To characterize the CTL responses in HIV-2 infected individuals and to determine the cross-reactivity of these responses with HIV-1. 2) To identify immunogenic epitopes recognized by HIV-2 specific CTL and map the epitopes targeted by this response. 3) To determine whether CD8 cells or CTL clones from HIV-2 infected persons can inhibit HIV-1 and HIV-2 replication in vitro. 4) To determine whether HIV exposed, seronegative persons have HIV-specific CTL or CD8 inhibitory responses.