%0 Journal Article
%T Group M consensus Gag and Nef peptides are as efficient at detecting clade A1 and D cross-subtype T-cell functions as subtype-specific consensus peptides.
%A Mugaba S
%A Nakiboneka R
%A Nanyonjo M
%A Bugembe-Lule D
%A Kaddu I
%A Nanteza B
%A Tweyongyere R
%A Kaleebu P
%A Serwanga J
%J Vaccine
%V 32
%N 30
%D Jun 2014 24
%M 24837770
%F 4.169
%R 10.1016/j.vaccine.2014.05.021
%X <B>OBJECTIVE: </B>Evaluating HIV-1 specific T-cell response in African populations is sometimes compromised by extensive virus diversity and paucity of non-clade B reagents. We evaluated whether consensus group M (ConM) peptides could serve as comparable substitutes for detecting immune responses in clade A and clade D HIV-1 infection.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>Frequencies, breadths and polyfunctionality (≥ 3 functions: IFN-γ, IL-2, TNF-α and Perforin) of HIV-specific responses utilizing ConM, ConA and ConD Gag and Nef peptides was compared.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>Median genetic distances of infecting gag sequences from consensus group M were (8.9%, IQR 8.2-9.7 and 9%, IQR 3.3-10) for consensus A and D, respectively. Of 24 subjects infected with A and D clade virus, Gag responses were detected in comparable proportions of subjects when using ConM peptides 22/24, ConA peptides 17/24, and ConD peptides 21/24; p=0.12. Nef responses were also detected at similar proportions of subjects when using ConM peptides 15/23, ConA peptides 19/23, and ConD peptides 16/23, p=0.39. Virus-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell polyfunctionality were also detected in similar proportions of infected individuals when using different peptide sets.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>These data support the use of consensus group M overlapping peptide sets as reagents for detecting HIV-specific responses in a clade A and D infected population, but underscore the limitations of utilizing these reagents when evaluating the breadth of virus-specific responses.