Antigen-specific CD4(+) T cells recognize epitopes of protective antigen following vaccination with an anthrax vaccine

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Elsa M. Laughlin, Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason; Joseph Miller, Emory University; Eddie James, Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason; Dimitri Fillos, Emory University; Chris Ibegbu, Emory University; Robert S. Mittler, Emory University; Rama Akondy, Emory University; William Kwok, Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason; Rafi Ahmed, Emory University; Gerald Nepom, Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason
• Language: English
• Date: 2007-04-01
• Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/IAI.01814-06
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Infection and Immunity
• ISSN: 0019-9567
• Volume: 75
• Issue: 4
• Start Page: 1852
• End Page: 1860
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was supported by grant AI059798 from the National Institutes of Health and by assistance from the Southeast Regional Center of Excellence for Emerging Infections and Biodefense and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through the Department of Health and Human Services.
• Keywords: INFECTION; BINDING; Science & Technology; Infectious Diseases; RESPONSES; Immunology; CLASS-II TETRAMERS; DRB1-ASTERISK-0401; IMMUNOLOGY; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; INFECTIOUS DISEASES
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Pathology; Health Sciences, Immunology; Biology, Virology

Abstract

Detection of antigen-specific CD4+ T cells is facilitated by the use of fluorescently labeled soluble peptide-major histocompatibility complex (MHC) multimers which mirror the antigen specificity of T-cell receptor recognition. We have used soluble peptide-MHC class II tetramers containing peptides from the protective antigen (PA) of Bacillus anthracis to detect circulating T cells in peripheral blood of subjects vaccinated with an anthrax vaccine. PA-specific HLA class II-restricted T lymphocytes were isolated which displayed both TH1- and TH2-like characteristics, indicating heterogeneity of the lymphocyte lineage within the CD4+ response. Presentation of antigen to these T-cell clones by HLA-matched antigen-presenting cells exposed to the intact PA protein confirmed that the identified epitopes are indeed naturally processed by the human immune system. Specific tetramer-derived T-cell profiling may be useful for monitoring helper CD4+ T-cell responses to anthrax vaccination.