HXB2 is primarily used as a template strain in developing HIV vaccines in Europe and the US. However,it is not yet known whether the strain can induce strong HIV-specific CD8+ T cell responses in Chinese HIV/AIDS patients. In the present study,two groups of subjects were investigated:9 AIDS patients and 7 long-term nonprogressors (LTNPs). HIV-specific CD8+ T cell responses were examined in all patients through the ELISPOT assay. CD4+ T cell counts,CD8+ T cell counts,viral load and HIV subtype of each patient were also measured. Thailand B virus strain was identified among all the patients. The breadth and magnitude of HIV-specific CD8+ T cell responses in the LTNPs group are greater than those in the AIDS group (P0.01). There is a positive correlation between magnitude of HIV-specific CD8+ T cell responses and CD4+ T cells,and a negative correlation between HIV-specific CD8+ T cell responses and mean viral load. In summary,the HIV-specific CD8+ T cell responses to the HXB2 Gag and Nef peptide pools are considerable in Chinese HIV/AIDS patients infected with Thailand B virus strain. HIV-1 vaccines based on HXB2 strain that can induce extensive immunity may be helpful for Chinese.
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