?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Fd-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu%2F31581%2F&rft.title=Characterization+of+memory+cytotoxic+t+lymphocyte+responses+in+chronic+hiv-1+infected+individuals&rft.creator=Jiang%2C+Yunhan&rft.description=The+three+stages+of+untreated+human+immune+deficiency+virus+type+1+(HIV-1)+infection+are+acute+HIV+infection%2C+chronic+HIV+infection%2C+and+acquired+immunodeficiency+syndrome+(AIDS).+Combination+antiretroviral+therapy+(cART)+is+effective+in+treating+chronic+HIV+infection+but+fails+to+completely+clear+the+virus.+Mutations+in+HIV+epitopes+recognized+by+cytotoxic+T+lymphocytes+(CTL)+could+be+a+major+contributing+factor+because+they+result+in+T+cell+mediated+immune+responses+with+limited+effectiveness.+In+the+absence+of+cART%2C+it+is+the+viral+evolution+within+an+individual+during+the+course+of+infection+under+the+pressure+of+host+immune+response+that+allows+the+virus+to+persist.+To+better+understand+viral+pathogenesis+and+develop+an+effective+HIV+treatment%2C+it+is+important+to+identify+and+characterize+the+evolution+of+mutations+occurring+within+HIV+CTL+epitopes.%0D%0A+%0D%0AHere+I+mapped+the+evolution+of+HIV+CTL+epitopes+in+chronically+infected+HIV-1+donors.+Specifically%2C+I+fist+1)+identified+memory+HIV+CTL+epitopes+to+HIV+gag+antigens+p17%2Fp24+from+contemporaneous+viral+isolates+obtained+from+long+term+HIV+infected+individuals+and+then+2)+compared+CTL+responses+to+epitope+sequences+from+the+early+stages+of+infection+versus+sequences+after+over+10+years+of+treatment+and+viral+evolution.+Using+MHC+class-1+binding+predictive+algorithm%2C+the+viral+mutation+was+found+to+exhibit+an+unexpected+pattern%2C+that+the+reservoir+variants+has+a+higher+binding+affinity+than+its+founder+variant.+Making+use+of+an+IFN-+ELISpot+Assay%2C+the+fact+that+the+MHC+class-1+binding+affinity+does+not+equal+to+the+actual+elicited+CTL+response+has+been+noticed.%0D%0A++%0D%0AOverall%2C+this+study+has+a+significance+in+public+health+as+it+provided+important+information+on+the+ability+of+HIV+to+escape+CD8%2B+T+lymphocyte+detection+and+potentially+contribute+to+the+cure+of+the+disease.&rft.date=2017-06-29&rft.type=University+of+Pittsburgh+ETD&rft.type=PeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.language=en&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Fd-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu%2F31581%2F1%2FYunhan%2520Jiang_MS_4_2017.pdf&rft.identifier=++Jiang%2C+Yunhan++(2017)+Characterization+of+memory+cytotoxic+t+lymphocyte+responses+in+chronic+hiv-1+infected+individuals.++Master's+Thesis%2C+University+of+Pittsburgh.++++(Unpublished)++