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

• 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
• Journal Title: Infection and Immunity
• Volume: Volume 75, Number 4
• Publisher: American Society for Microbiology | 2007-04-01, Pages 1852-1860
• Type of Work: Article | Final Publisher PDF
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1128/IAI.01814-06
• Subjects: Health Sciences, Pathology; Health Sciences, Immunology; Biology, Virology
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Immunology; Infectious Diseases; IMMUNOLOGY; INFECTIOUS DISEASES; CLASS-II TETRAMERS; RESPONSES; DRB1-ASTERISK-0401; INFECTION; BINDING

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.