T Cell Response to Staphylococcal Superantigens by Asymptomatic HIV-infected Individuals Exhibits Selective Changes in T Cell Receptor Vβ-Chain Usage

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Abstract
Recognition that the murine mammary tumor C-type retrovirus and the replication-defective murine leukemia virus have "superantigen" properties raises the specter that human immunodeficiency virus might also generate T cell impairment and destruction as a result of inherent superantigen properties. The observation that individuals with AIDS lack the expression of several T cell receptor Vβ-chain genes lends support to this hypothesis. Staphylococcal exotoxins represent another class of superantigen with a similar ability to stimulate large numbers of T cells bearing specific T cell receptor Vβ-chain types. To examine the hypothesis that T cells from HIV-infected individuals may be exposed to a superantigen during the infection process, we have compared the ability of T cells from asymptomatic HIV-infected donors and healthy donors to respond to stimulation with several known staphylococcal exotoxin superantigens. Following in vitro stimulation with staphylococcal enterotoxin D and staphylococcal enterotoxin E, asymptomatic HIV-infected individuals responded with a significantly different T cell receptor Vβ-chain usage to that observed for healthy individuals. This skewed Vβ-chain usage is likely to reflect preferential conditioning of T cells bearing specific Vβ-chains as a result of HIV infection, supporting the hypothesis of superantigen involvement early in the course of infection.