Several major histocompatibility complex (MHC) alleles have been reported to present peptides derived from the HPV16 E7 oncoprotein to T cells. We describe an overrepresentation of the HLA-B8 allele (28.44%) in cervical cancer patients as compared to the MHC class I allele frequency in a local healthy control population (18.80%) and the identification of an HLA-B8-binding peptide TLHEYMLDL (HPV16 E7 7-15 ), which is able to drive HPV16 E7-specific and MHC class I-restricted T-cell responses in peripheral blood lymphocytes from healthy individuals. TLHEYMLDLspecific T cells recognize the naturally processed and presented peptide on HPV16؉ cervical cancer cells transfected with the HLA-B8 gene defined by IFN-␥ production. This peptide epitope is also recognized by freshly harvested tumor-infiltrating T cells or T cells from tumor-draining lymph nodes from patients with cervical cancer determined by flow cytometry as well as by tetramer in situ staining. HLA-B8-restricted HPV E7 7-15 -specific T cells reside predominantly in the CD8 ؉ CD45RA ؉ CCR7 ؉ precursor or in the differentiated CD8 ؉ CD45RA ؉ CCR7 ؊ T-cell population.
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