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Journal of Virology, June 2007, p. 5759-5765, Vol. 81, No. 11
0022-538X/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.00045-07
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1)-Specific CD8⁺ T_EMRA Cells in Early Infection Are Linked to Control of HIV-1 Viremia and Predict the Subsequent Viral Load Set Point

John W. Northfield,¹ Christopher P. Loo,² Jason D. Barbour,³ Gerald Spotts,³ Frederick M. Hecht,³ Paul Klenerman,¹ Douglas F. Nixon,² and Jakob Michaëlsson^4*

Peter Medawar Building For Pathogen Research, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3SY, United Kingdom,¹ Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143,² Positive Health Program, Department of Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94110,³ Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 141 86 Stockholm, Sweden⁴

Received 8 January 2007/ Accepted 15 March 2007

CD8⁺ T cells are believed to play an important role in the control of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. However, despite intensive efforts, it has not been possible to consistently link the overall magnitude of the CD8⁺ T-cell response with control of HIV-1. Here, we have investigated the association of different CD8⁺ memory T-cell subsets responding to HIV-1 in early infection with future control of HIV-1 viremia. Our results demonstrate that both a larger proportion and an absolute number of HIV-1-specific CD8⁺ CCR7^– CD45RA⁺ effector memory T cells (T_EMRA cells) were associated with a lower future viral load set point. In contrast, a larger absolute number of HIV-1-specific CD8⁺ CCR7^– CD45RA^– effector memory T cells (T_EM) was not related to the viral load set point. Overall, the findings suggest that CD8⁺ T_EMRA cells have superior antiviral activity and indicate that both qualitative and quantitative aspects of the CD8⁺ T-cell response need to be considered when defining the characteristics of protective immunity to HIV-1.

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* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Center for Infectious Medicine, F59, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital in Huddinge, 141 86 Stockholm, Sweden. Phone: 46-8-58589791. Fax: 46-8-7467637. E-mail: jakob.michaelsson{at}ki.se

Published ahead of print on 21 March 2007.

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Journal of Virology, June 2007, p. 5759-5765, Vol. 81, No. 11
0022-538X/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.00045-07
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

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