Random T-Cell Receptor Recruitment in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1)-Specific CD8 + T Cells from Genetically Identical Twins Infected with the Same HIV-1 Strain

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Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) cytotoxic T-lymphocyte escape mutations represent both a major reason for loss of HIV immune control and a considerable challenge for HIV-1 vaccine design. Previous data suggest that initial HIV-1-specific CD8 + T-cell responses are determined largely by viral and host genetics, but the mechanisms influencing the subsequent viral evolution are unclear. Here, we show a random recruitment of T-cell receptor (TCR) alpha and beta clonotypes of the initial HIV-1-specific CD8 + T cells during primary infection in two genetically identical twins infected simultaneously with the same virus, suggesting that stochastic TCR recruitment of HIV-1-specific CD8 + T cells contributes to the diverse and unpredictable HIV-1 sequence evolution.