Lymphocyte Proliferative Responses to HIV-1 Envelope and Core Antigens by Infected and Uninfected Adults and Children

Lymphocytes derived from children and adults infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1), as well as from seronegative children and adults, were tested for their ability to proliferate in response to recombinant HIV envelope (env) and core (cor) peptides. Proliferative responses to env were seen in 9% of control children compared with 27% of infected children (p < 0.02). There was no difference in the response rates of seropositive and seronegative adults (17% and 16%, respectively). Proliferative responses to cor were seen more frequently in children and adults (22% and 28%, respectively) than their seronegative cohorts (11% and 12%, respectively). Also, the proliferative response to env and cor was seen in 27% and 37%, respectively, of seronegative children who were born to seropositive mothers and then subsequently seroreverted. These results suggest that sensitization to HIV recombinant antigens has resulted in a cell-mediated immune response in some HIV-infected individuals. Furthermore, the significant cell-mediated immune response to these antigens in seroreverting children raises the possibility that they may have been sensitized to this antigen by previous HIV infection.