Infectious and inflammatory diseases have repeatedly shown strong genetic associations within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC); however, the basis for these associations remains elusive. To define host genetic effects on the outcome of a chronic viral infection, we performed genome-wide association analysis in a multiethnic cohort of HIV-1 controllers and progressors, and we analyzed the effects of individual amino acids within the classical human leukocyte antigen (HLA) proteins. We identified >300 genome-wide significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the MHC and none elsewhere. Specific amino acids in the HLA-B peptide binding groove, as well as an independent HLA-C effect, explain the SNP associations and reconcile both protective and risk HLA alleles. These results implicate the nature of the HLA–viral peptide interaction as the major factor modulating durable control of HIV infection.

Analyses of the breadth and specificity of virus-specific CD8؉ T cell responses associated with control of HIV have largely relied on measurement of cytokine secretion by effector T cells. These have resulted in the identification of HIV elite controllers with low or absent responses in which non-T-cell mechanisms of control have been suggested. However, successful control of HIV infection may be associated with central memory T cells, which have not been consistently examined in these individuals. Gagspecific T cells were characterized using a peptide-based cultured enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assay (ELISpot). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from HIV elite controllers (n ‫؍‬ 10), progressors (n ‫؍‬ 12), and antiretroviral-treated individuals (n ‫؍‬ 9) were cultured with overlapping peptides for 12 days. Specificity was assessed by tetramer staining, functional features of expanded cells were assessed by cytokine secretion, and virus inhibition and phenotypic characteristics were assessed by cell sorting and coculture assays. After peptide stimulation, elite controllers showed a greater number of previously undetectable (new) responses compared to progressors (P ‫؍‬ 0.0008). These responses were highly polyfunctional, with 64.5% of responses having 3 to 5 functions. Expandable epitope-specific CD8 ؉ T cells from elite controllers had strong virus inhibitory capacity and predominantly displayed a central memory phenotype. These data indicate that elite controllers with minimal T cell responses harbor a highly functional, broadly directed central memory T cell population that is capable of suppressing HIV in vitro. Comprehensive examination of this cell population could provide insight into the immune responses associated with successful containment of viremia.

• Immune monitoring models integrating multiple functions of HIV-1-specific CD8 T cells distinguish controllers from subjects with progressive HIV-1 infection.• This strategy may have important applications in predictive model development and immune monitoring of HIV-1 vaccine trials.

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Ndhlovu et al.: A high-dimensional immune monitoring model of HIV-1-specific CD8 T cell responses accurately identifies subjects achieving spontaneous viral control. Retrovirology 2012 9(Suppl 2):P280.

Several studies suggest that CTL proliferation is one of the functions specifically associated with elite control of HIV, but IFN-γ is generally used to define HIV epitope-specific CTL immunodominance. We performed multi-dimensional intra-donor analysis of HIV CTL-specific cytokine production and proliferation against panels of HLA-matched optimal epitopes. 9 elite controllers (EC) and 8 subjects with progressive infection (CP) were studied. Our analysis revealed two main immunodominance patterns defined by either predominant IFN-γ production or proliferative capacity with very different hierarchies of responses. In the EC, 40% of epitope-specific CTL that produced IFN-γ after 6 h stimulation did not proliferate whereas 47% of CTL with strong proliferative capacity did not produce IFN-γ after 6h stimulation. The contrasting patterns of immunodominance were associated with different phenotypes of memory and exhaustion markers. HIV CP usually had little HIV-specific proliferative capacity as compared to EC (21% vs 7% of tested epitopes, p=0.009). Our data indicate that immunodominance patterns of HIV-specific CD8 T cell responses differ markedly based on an IFN-γ read out assay compared to functional proliferation. The intra-individual heterogeneity of HIV-specific CTL responses shows that not all epitope specific responses are functionally similar. Assessing CTL functions at the single epitope level can facilitate identification of features critical for antiviral function.