HIV-1 variation diminishes CD4 T lymphocyte recognition

Effective long-term antiviral immunity requires specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes and CD4(+) T lymphocyte help. Failure of these helper responses can be a principle cause of viral persistence. We sought evidence that variation in HIV-1 CD4(+) T helper epitopes might contribute to this phenomenon. To determine this, we assayed fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 43 asymptomatic HIV-1(+) patients for proliferative responses to HIV-1 antigens. 12 (28%) showed a positive response, and we went on to map dominant epitopes in two individuals, to p24 Gag restricted by human histocompatibility leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR1 and to p17 Gag restricted by HLA-DRB52c. Nine naturally occurring variants of the p24 Gag epitope were found in the proviral DNA of the individual in whom this response was detected. All variants bound to HLA-DR1, but three of these peptides failed to stimulate a CD4(+) T lymphocyte line which recognized the index sequence. Antigenic variation was also detected in the p17 Gag epitope; a dominant viral variant present in the patient was well recognized by a specific CD4(+) T lymphocyte line, whereas several natural mutants were not. Importantly, variants detected at both epitopes also failed to stimulate fresh uncultured cells while index peptide stimulated successfully. These results demonstrate that variant antigens arise in HIV-1(+) patients which fail to stimulate the T cell antigen receptor of HLA class II-restricted lymphocytes, although the peptide epitopes are capable of being presented on the cell surface. In HIV-1 infection, naturally occurring HLA class II-restricted altered peptide ligands that fail to stimulate the circulating T lymphocyte repertoire may curtail helper responses at sites where variant viruses predominate.