人类免疫缺陷病毒感染细胞毒性T细胞逃逸突变的研究进展

人类免疫缺陷病毒(HIV)-1感染者体内活化的细胞毒性T细胞(CTL)反应不足以清除病毒,这是由于HIV-1在HLA限制的CTL压力下经常发生逃逸突变.但是,部分CTL逃逸突变会造成HIV病毒适应性的下降.近年来,人们对HIV-1感染中CTL逃逸突变的特征以及不同位点的逃逸突变在疾病进程中的作用进行了比较深入的研究,因而探讨CTL压力下HIV逃逸突变的规律有助于了解HIV-1自然感染中的免疫保护机制,并为开发有效的HIV疫苗提供依据.

Advances in cytotoxic T cell escape mutations in HIV infection

HIV-specific cytotoxic T cell(CTL) are insufficient for eradication of the virus. It can be attributed to escape mutations in CTL epitopes restricted by HLA molecules that commonly develop during infection with HIV-1. However, several studies have suggested that some CTL escape mutations come at a cost to the virus fitness. Major advances have been made in recent years on the characterization of HIV escape mutations and in particular on the correlates of disease control. Understanding how HIV-1 escape CTL and the impact of the escape mutations will harvest more data to delineate the mechanisms of immune protection during the natural infection and to facilitate HIV vaccine development.