scholarly journals Comprehensive Analysis of CD8+-T-Cell Responses against Hepatitis C Virus Reveals Multiple Unpredicted Specificities

2002 ◽  
Vol 76 (12) ◽  
pp. 6104-6113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georg M. Lauer ◽  
Kei Ouchi ◽  
Raymond T. Chung ◽  
Tam N. Nguyen ◽  
Cheryl L. Day ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Cell Response ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
T Cell Responses ◽  
Comprehensive Analysis ◽  
T Cell Response ◽  
Hcv Infection ◽  
Cell Responses

ABSTRACT The hepatitis C virus (HCV)-specific CD8+-T-cell response is thought to play a critical role in HCV infection. Studies of these responses have largely relied on the analysis of a small number of previously described or predicted HCV epitopes, mostly restricted by HLA A2. In order to determine the actual breadth and magnitude of CD8+-T-cell responses in the context of diverse HLA class I alleles, we performed a comprehensive analysis of responses to all expressed HCV proteins. By using a panel of 301 overlapping peptides, we analyzed peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from a cohort of 14 anti-HCV-positive, HLA A2-positive individuals in an enzyme-linked immunospot assay. Only four subjects had detectable HLA A2-restricted responses in PBMC, and only 3 of 19 predicted A2 epitopes were targeted, all of which were confirmed by tetramer analysis. In contrast, 9 of 14 persons showed responses with more comprehensive analyses, with many responses directed against previously unreported epitopes. These results indicate that circulating HCV-specific CD8+-T-cell responses can be detected in PBMC in the majority of infected persons and that these responses are heterogeneous with no immunodominant epitopes consistently recognized. Since responses to epitopes restricted by single HLA alleles such as HLA A2 do not predict the overall response in an individual, more comprehensive approaches, as shown here, should facilitate definition of the role of the CD8+-T-cell response in HCV infection. Moreover, the low level or absence of responses to many predicted epitopes provides a rationale for immunotherapeutic interventions to broaden cytotoxic-T-lymphocyte recognition.

scholarly journals Extracellular Hepatitis C Virus Core Protein Activates STAT3 in Human Monocytes/Macrophages/Dendritic Cells via an IL-6 Autocrine Pathway

2011 ◽  
Vol 286 (12) ◽  
pp. 10847-10855 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert S. Tacke ◽  
Annie Tosello-Trampont ◽  
Virginia Nguyen ◽  
David W. Mullins ◽  
Young S. Hahn
Keyword(s):  
Dendritic Cells ◽  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Inflammatory Responses ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
T Cell Responses ◽  
Hcv Infection ◽  
Human Monocytes ◽  
Cell Responses

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is highly efficient in the establishment of persistent infection, which leads to the development of chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. Impaired T cell responses with reduced IFN-γ production have been reported to be associated with persistent HCV infection. Extracellular HCV core is a viral factor known to cause HCV-induced T cell impairment via its suppressive effect on the activation and induction of pro-inflammatory responses by antigen-presenting cells (APCs). The activation of STAT proteins has been reported to regulate the inflammatory responses and differentiation of APCs. To further characterize the molecular basis for the regulation of APC function by extracellular HCV core, we examined the ability of extracellular HCV core to activate STAT family members (STAT1, -2, -3, -5, and -6). In this study, we report the activation of STAT3 on human monocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells following treatment with extracellular HCV core as well as treatment with a gC1qR agonistic monoclonal antibody. Importantly, HCV core-induced STAT3 activation is dependent on the activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway. In addition, the production of multifunctional cytokine IL-6 is essential for HCV core-induced STAT3 activation. These results suggest that HCV core-induced STAT3 activation plays a critical role in the alteration of inflammatory responses by APCs, leading to impaired anti-viral T cell responses during HCV infection.

scholarly journals Strain-Specific T-Cell Suppression and Protective Immunity in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection

2005 ◽  
Vol 79 (11) ◽  
pp. 6976-6983 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazushi Sugimoto ◽  
David E. Kaplan ◽  
Fusao Ikeda ◽  
Jin Ding ◽  
Jonathan Schwartz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Cell Response ◽  
T Cell Responses ◽  
T Cell Response ◽  
Cd4 T Cell ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Genotype 2

ABSTRACT Hepatitis C virus (HCV) frequently persists with an apparently ineffective antiviral T-cell response. We hypothesized that some patients may be exposed to multiple HCV subtypes and that strain-specific T cells could contribute to the viral dynamics in this setting. To test this hypothesis, CD4 T-cell responses to three genotype 1a-derived HCV antigens and HCV antibody serotype were examined in chronically HCV infected (genotypes 1a, 1b, 2, 3, and 4) and spontaneously HCV recovered subjects. Consistent with multiple HCV exposure, 63% of patients infected with genotypes 2 to 4 (genotypes 2-4) and 36% of those infected with genotype 1b displayed CD4 T-cell responses to 1a-derived HCV antigens, while 29% of genotype 2-4-infected patients showed serotype responses to genotype 1. Detection of 1a-specific T cells in patients without active 1a infection suggested prior self-limited 1a infection with T-cell-mediated protection from 1a but not from non-1a viruses. Remarkably, CD4 T-cell responses to 1a-derived HCV antigens were weakest in patients with homologous 1a infection and greater in non-1a-infected patients: proportions of patients responding were 19% (1a), 36% (1b), and 63% (2-4) (P = 0.0006). Increased 1a-specific CD4 T-cell responsiveness in non-1a-infected patients was not due to increased immunogenicity or cross-reactivity of non-1a viruses but directly related to sequence divergence. We conclude that the T-cell response to the circulating virus is either suppressed or not induced in a strain-specific manner in chronically HCV infected patients and that, despite their ability to clear one HCV strain, patients may be reinfected with a heterologous strain that can then persist. These findings provide new insights into host-virus interactions in HCV infection that have implications for vaccine development.

scholarly journals Selection of Conserved Epitopes from Hepatitis C Virus for Pan-Populational Stimulation of T-Cell Responses

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena Molero-Abraham ◽  
Esther M. Lafuente ◽  
Darren R. Flower ◽  
Pedro A. Reche
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Natural Infection ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
T Cell Responses ◽  
Cd8 T Cell ◽  
T Cell Response ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Selection Of

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is able to persist as a chronic infection, which can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. There is evidence that clearance of HCV is linked to strong responses by CD8 cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), suggesting that eliciting CTL responses against HCV through an epitope-based vaccine could prove an effective means of immunization. However, HCV genomic plasticity as well as the polymorphisms of HLA I molecules restricting CD8 T-cell responses challenges the selection of epitopes for a widely protective vaccine. Here, we devised an approach to overcome these limitations. From available databases, we first collected a set of 245 HCV-specific CD8 T-cell epitopes, all known to be targeted in the course of a natural infection in humans. After a sequence variability analysis, we next identified 17 highly invariant epitopes. Subsequently, we predicted the epitope HLA I binding profiles that determine their potential presentation and recognition. Finally, using the relevant HLA I-genetic frequencies, we identified various epitope subsets encompassing 6 conserved HCV-specific CTL epitopes each predicted to elicit an effective T-cell response in any individual regardless of their HLA I background. We implemented this epitope selection approach for free public use at the EPISOPT web server.

scholarly journals The Clearance of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Chimpanzees May Not Necessarily Correlate with the Appearance of Acquired Immunity

2003 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 862-870 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Thomson ◽  
Michelina Nascimbeni ◽  
Michael B. Havert ◽  
Marian Major ◽  
Sophia Gonzales ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
T Cell ◽  
T Cell Responses ◽  
Distinct Pattern ◽  
Hcv Infection ◽  
Interleukin 4 ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Ifn Γ

ABSTRACT Clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in humans and chimpanzees is thought to be associated with the induction of strong T-cell responses. We studied four chimpanzees infected with HCV derived from an infectious full-length HCV genotype 1b cDNA. Two of the chimpanzees cleared the infection to undetectable levels for more than 12 months of follow-up; the other two became persistently infected. Detailed analyses of HCV-specific immune responses were performed during the courses of infection in these chimpanzees. Only weak and transient T helper responses were detected during the acute phase in all four chimpanzees. A comparison of the frequency of gamma interferon (IFN-γ)-producing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood by ELISpot assay did not reveal any correlation between viral clearance and T-cell responses. In addition, analyses of IFN-γ, IFN-α, and interleukin-4 mRNA levels in liver biopsies, presumably indicative of intrahepatic T-cell responses, revealed no distinct pattern in these chimpanzees with respect to infection outcome. The present study suggests that the outcome of HCV infection in chimpanzees is not necessarily attributable to HCV sequence variation and that chimpanzees may recover from HCV infection by mechanisms other than the induction of readily detectable HCV-specific T-cell responses.

scholarly journals Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)–Specific T Cell Responses in Injection Drug Users with Apparent Resistance to HCV Infection

2008 ◽  
Vol 198 (12) ◽  
pp. 1749-1755 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prem H. Thurairajah ◽  
Doha Hegazy ◽  
Shilpa Chokshi ◽  
Steve Shaw ◽  
Andrew Demaine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Injection Drug Users ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
T Cell Responses ◽  
Hcv Infection ◽  
Injection Drug ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Apparent Resistance

scholarly journals Hepatitis C Virus Induces Regulatory T Cells by Naturally Occurring Viral Variants to Suppress T Cell Responses

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew F. Cusick ◽  
Jennifer J. Schiller ◽  
Joan C. Gill ◽  
David D. Eckels
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Regulatory T Cell ◽  
Cell Response ◽  
T Cell Response ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Specific Manner

Regulatory T cell markers are increased in chronically infected individuals with the hepatitis C virus (HCV), but to date, the induction and maintenance of Tregs in HCV infection has not been clearly defined. In this paper, we demonstrate that naturally occurring viral variants suppress T cell responses to cognate NS3358-375in an antigen-specific manner. Of four archetypal variants, S370P induced regulatory T cell markers in comparison to NS3358-375-stimulated CD4 T cells. Further, the addition of variant-specific CD4 T cells back into a polyclonal culture in a dose-dependent manner inhibited the T cell response. These results suggest that HCV is able to induce antigen-specific regulatory T cells to suppress the antiviral T cell response in an antigen-specific manner, thus contributing to a niche within the host that could be conducive to HCV persistence.

scholarly journals Broadening CD4+ and CD8+ T Cell Responses against Hepatitis C Virus by Vaccination with NS3 Overlapping Peptide Panels in Cross-Priming Liposomes

2017 ◽  
Vol 91 (14) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Filskov ◽  
Marianne Mikkelsen ◽  
Paul R. Hansen ◽  
Jan P. Christensen ◽  
Allan R. Thomsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Recombinant Protein ◽  
T Cell Responses ◽  
T Cell Response ◽  
T Cell Epitopes ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Vaccine Approach

ABSTRACT Despite the introduction of effective drugs to treat patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, a vaccine would be the only means to substantially reduce the worldwide disease burden. An incomplete understanding of how HCV interacts with its human host and evades immune surveillance has hampered vaccine development. It is generally accepted that in infected individuals, a narrow repertoire of exhausted T cells is a hallmark of persistent infection, whereas broad, vigorous CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses are associated with control of acute hepatitis C. We employed a vaccine approach based on a mixture of peptides (pepmix) spanning the entire sequence of HCV nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) in cross-priming cationic liposomes (CAF09) to facilitate a versatile presentation of all possible T cell epitopes, regardless of the HLA background of the vaccine recipient. Here, we demonstrate that vaccination of mice with NS3 pepmix broadens the repertoire of epitope-specific T cells compared to the corresponding recombinant protein (rNS3). Moreover, vaccination with rNS3 induced only CD4+ T cells, whereas the NS3 pepmix induced a far more vigorous CD4+ T cell response and was as potent a CD8+ T cell inducer as an adenovirus-vectored vaccine expressing NS3. Importantly, the cellular responses are dominated by multifunctional T cells, such as gamma interferon-positive (IFN-γ+) tumor necrosis factor alpha-positive (TNF-α+) coproducers, and displayed cytotoxic capacity in mice. In conclusion, we present a novel vaccine approach against HCV, inducing a broadened T cell response targeting both immunodominant and potential subdominant epitopes, which may be key elements to counter T cell exhaustion and prevent chronicity. IMPORTANCE With at least 700,000 annual deaths, development of a vaccine against hepatitis C virus (HCV) has high priority, but the tremendous ability of the virus to dodge the human immune system poses great challenges. Furthermore, many chronic infections, including HCV infection, have a remarkable ability to drive initially strong CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses against dominant epitopes toward an exhausted, dysfunctional state. Thus, new and innovative vaccine approaches to control HCV should be evaluated. Here, we report on a novel peptide-based nanoparticle vaccine strategy (NS3 pepmix) aimed at generating T cell immunity against potential subdominant T cell epitopes that are not efficiently targeted by vaccination with full-length recombinant protein (rNS3) or infection with HCV. As proof of concept, we found that NS3 pepmix excels in broadening the repertoire of epitope-specific, multifunctional, and cytotoxic CD4+ and CD8+ T cells compared to vaccination with rNS3, which generated only CD4+ T cell responses.

scholarly journals Absence of viral escape within a frequently recognized HLA-A26-restricted CD8+ T-cell epitope targeting the functionally constrained hepatitis C virus NS5A/5B cleavage site

2007 ◽  
Vol 88 (7) ◽  
pp. 1986-1991 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Neumann-Haefelin ◽  
Thomas Killinger ◽  
Jörg Timm ◽  
Scott Southwood ◽  
Denise McKinney ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Cleavage Site ◽  
Cell Epitope ◽  
T Cell Responses ◽  
Hcv Infection ◽  
Viral Fitness ◽  
Viral Escape ◽  
Cell Responses

CD8+ T-cell responses are central for the resolution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and viral escape from these CD8+ T-cell responses has been suggested to play a major role in HCV persistence. However, the factors determining the emergence of CD8 escape mutations are not well understood. Here, the first identification of four HLA-A26-restricted CD8+ T-cell epitopes is reported. Of note, two of these four epitopes are located in the NS3/4A and NS5A/5B cleavage sites. The latter epitope is targeted in all (three of three) patients with acute, resolving HCV infection and in a relatively high proportion (four of 14) of patients with chronic HCV infection. Importantly, the epitope corresponding to the NS5A/5B cleavage site is characterized by the complete absence of sequence variations, despite the presence of functional virus-specific CD8+ T cells in our cohort. These results support previous findings that showed defined functional constraints within this region. They also suggest that the absence of viral escape may be determined by viral fitness cost and highlight an attractive target for immunotherapies.

Virus-specific T-cell responses associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) persistence in the liver after apparent recovery from HCV infection

2006 ◽  
Vol 78 (9) ◽  
pp. 1190-1197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan A. Quiroga ◽  
Silvia Llorente ◽  
Inmaculada Castillo ◽  
Elena Rodríguez-Iñigo ◽  
Juan Manuel López-Alcorocho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
T Cell ◽  
T Cell Responses ◽  
Hcv Infection ◽  
Cell Responses

scholarly journals A Novel Adenovirus Type 6 (Ad6)-Based Hepatitis C Virus Vector That Overcomes Preexisting Anti-Ad5 Immunity and Induces Potent and Broad Cellular Immune Responses in Rhesus Macaques

2006 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 1688-1699 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefania Capone ◽  
Annalisa Meola ◽  
Bruno Bruni Ercole ◽  
Alessandra Vitelli ◽  
Monica Pezzanera ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Rhesus Macaques ◽  
T Cell Responses ◽  
T Cell Response ◽  
Cell Mediated Immunity ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Serotype 5

ABSTRACT Success in resolving hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been correlated to vigorous, multispecific, and sustained CD8+ T-cell response in humans and chimpanzees. The efficacy of inducing T-cell-mediated immunity by recombinant serotype 5 adenovirus vector has been proven in many animal models of infectious diseases, but its immunogenicity can be negatively influenced by preexisting immunity against the vector itself. To evaluate the less prevalent adenovirus serotype 6 (Ad6) as an alternative vector for and HCV vaccine development, we have generated serotype 5 and 6 adenoviral vectors directing expression of the nonstructural region of HCV (MRKAd5-NSmut and MRKAd6-NSmut). Immunogenicity studies in mice showed that the two vectors induced comparable T-cell responses but that only MRKAd6-NSmut was not suppressed in the presence of anti-Ad5 immunity. In contrast, preexisting anti-Ad5 immunity dramatically blunted the immunogenicity of the serotype 5-based HCV vector. Furthermore, MRKAd6-NSmut showed equivalent potency, breadth, and longevity of HCV-specific T-cell responses in rhesus macaques as the corresponding Ad5-based vector over a wide range of doses and was capable of boosting DNA-primed animals even if administered at low doses. These data support the use of the MRKAd6-NSmut for anti-HCV immunotherapy and, more generally, for the Ad6 serotype as a better genetic vaccine vehicle than Ad5.

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