How HIV-1 lentivirus causes immune deficiency disease

Habeshaw, J.A.; Wilson, S.E.; Hounsell, E.F.; Oxford, J.S.

doi:10.1054/mehy.1997.0632

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Volume 52, Issue 1 , Pages 59-67, January 1999

How HIV-1 lentivirus causes immune deficiency disease

J.A. Habeshaw
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Virology, St Bartholomew's and the Royal London School of Medicine & Dentistry, Whitechapel London, U.K. Division of Communicable Disease Control, Viral and Rickettsial Disease Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A. University College London, London, U.K. Queen Mary and Westfield College, London, U.K.
S.E. Wilson
- Academic Virology, St Bartholomew's and the Royal London School of Medicine & Dentistry, Whitechapel London, U.K. Department of Health Services, Division of Communicable Disease Control, Viral and Rickettsial Disease Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A. University College London, London, U.K. Queen Mary and Westfield College, London, U.K.
E.F. Hounsell
- Academic Virology, St Bartholomew's and the Royal London School of Medicine & Dentistry, Whitechapel London, U.K. Division of Communicable Disease Control, Viral and Rickettsial Disease Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, U.K. Queen Mary and Westfield College, London, U.K.
J.S. Oxford
- Academic Virology, St Bartholomew's and the Royal London School of Medicine & Dentistry, Whitechapel London, U.K. Division of Communicable Disease Control, Viral and Rickettsial Disease Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A. University College London, London, U.K. Department of Medical Microbiology, Queen Mary and Westfield College, London, U.K.

Received 29 July 1997; accepted 8 September 1997.

Abstract

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) associated immune deficiency has the characteristics of chronic graft versus host disease (GGHD) caused by human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class 2 incompatibility. The envelope glycoprotein fragment TKAKRRVVEREKR mimics HLA class 1 C molecules serologically, and also mimics an immune regulatory T cell epitope, in the region of amino acids 67 to 71, within the HLA DR β chain. This β chain alloepitopic region (between amino acids 67 to 80) furnishes peptides predicted to bind optimally to HLA class 1 B alleles. The hypothesis predicts that viral parameters, such as viral load, and clinical parameters, such as rate of progress to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and severity of the associated immune deficient state, are linked to the HLA B and HLA DR β chain haplotype in infected patients. Immune suppression is caused by HLA class 1 B restricted CD8+ T cells which normally regulate HLA class 2 DR restricted antigen specific responses. The hypothesis further predicts the severity of immune deficiency to be linked to those HLA DR β chain allotypes which express the amino-acid glutamine (Q) in position 70.

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