The binding between TCR on
CD8 T cells and peptide/ MHC complexes on APC leads to T cell proliferation and differentiation.
Selective expression of the interleukin 7 receptor identifies effector
CD8 T cells that give rise to long-lived memory cells.
In resource-limited settings this could provide a means of limiting cost by reducing expensive viral load testing, however, there is insufficient data to support the use of
CD8 T cell activation measures to detect virological failures under HAART.
These new assays were based on measuring antigen-specific cytokine production in both CD4 and
CD8 T cells from HIV-infected people.
As expected,
CD8 T cells produced large amounts of these enzymes upon stimulation with PMA/ionomycin.
Using the activation markers CD38 and HLA-DR, they showed that there is a large and significant difference between the T cell activation (both CD4 and
CD8 T cells) of patients who become undetectable on ART compared to patients before they start treatment and to those on treatment who do not achieve an undetectable viral load.
Studies in rhesus monkeys have shown that significant and persistent virus-specific T cell responses can be elicited with vaccines incorporating viral genetic sequences and that these responses are primarily mediated by
CD8 T cells. Benefits such as stable CD4 levels and viral control have resulted.
Murali-Krishna et al., "Rapid demethylation of the IFN-[gamma] gene occurs in memory but not naive
CD8 T cells," The Journal of Immunology, vol.
Generation of genome-wide
CD8 T cell responses in HLA-A*0201 transgenic mice by an HIV-1 ubiquitin expression library immunization vaccine.
In every participant, the vaccine engendered antibodies against circumsporozoite and whipped up an army of immune system warriors called CD4 and
CD8 T cells, says study coauthor Giampietro Corradin, a biochemist at the University of Lausanne in Epalinges, Switzerland.
van den Broek, "Resting dendritic cells induce peripheral
CD8 T cell tolerance through PD-1 and CTLA-4," Nature Immunology, vol.
CD4 T cell count was 410 cells/[mm.sup.3] and
CD8 T cell count was 940 cells/[mm.sup.3].