The Journal of Immunology, 2002, 169: 5771-5779.
Copyright © 2002 by The American Association of Immunologists
Induction of HIV-1-Specific Immunity After Vaccination with Apoptotic HIV-1/Murine Leukemia Virus-Infected Cells1
Anna-Lena Spetz2,*,
Anna Smed Sörensen*,
Lilian Walther-Jallow*,
Britta Wahren
,
,
Jan Andersson*,
Lars Holmgren
and
Jorma Hinkula
,
,¶
* Department of Medicine, Center for Infectious Medicine, Huddinge University Hospital, and
Microbiology and Tumor Biology Center, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden;
Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, Stockholm, Sweden;
Cancer Center, Karolinska Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; and
¶ Department of Health and Society, Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden
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Abstract
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Ag-presenting dendritic cells present viral Ags to T cells after
uptake of apoptotic bodies derived from virus-infected cells in vitro.
However, it is unclear whether apoptotic virus-infected cells are
capable of generating immunity in vivo. In this study, we show that
inoculation of mice with apoptotic HIV-1/murine leukemia virus
(MuLV)-infected cells induces HIV-1-specific immunity. Immunization
with apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV-infected syngeneic splenocytes resulted in
strong Nef-specific CD8+ T cell proliferation and
p24-induced CD4+ and CD8+ T cell proliferation
as well as IFN-
production. In addition, systemic IgG and IgA as
well as mucosa-associated IgA responses were generated. Moreover, mice
vaccinated with apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV cells were protected against
challenge with live HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells, whereas mice vaccinated
with apoptotic noninfected or MuLV-infected splenocytes remained
susceptible to HIV-1/MuLV. These data show that i.p. immunization with
apoptotic HIV-1-infected cells induces high levels of HIV-1-specific
systemic immunity, primes for mucosal immunity, and induces protection
against challenge with live HIV-1-infected cells in mice. These
findings may have implications for the development of therapeutic and
prophylactic HIV-1 vaccines.
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Introduction
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Apoptosis,
or programmed cell death, is a process characterized by expression of
phosphatidylserine on the cell surface, caspase activation, DNA
fragmentation, and formation of apoptotic bodies. During development
and maintenance of tissue homeostasis, apoptosis is an inconspicuous
process in vivo due to rapid clearance of dead cells by cells
specialized in phagocytosis preventing induction of immune responses
(1). Hence, APC that ingest Ag-containing structures by
phagocytosis require additional stimulation, apart from the uptake of
apoptotic bodies per se, to induce primary T cell activation. Matzinger
(2, 3) hypothesized that apoptotic cell death of
virus-infected or otherwise damaged cells may provide a signal that
alerts the immune system. The exposure of Ag-presenting dendritic cells
to signals such as inflammatory cytokines, necrotic cells, CpG
oligonucleotides, double-stranded RNA, or bacterial components may
provide the necessary cue for immune activation (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9).
However, the number of apoptotic cells may be another factor
contributing to the immunological outcome. High numbers of apoptotic
cells, resulting in a slow clearance, may also induce dendritic cell
maturation and presentation of intracellular Ags from apoptotic cells
(10).
In vitro studies have shown that the uptake of apoptotic bodies derived
from influenza-, EBV-, or CMV-infected cells by dendritic cells results
in efficient MHC class I-restricted presentation of viral epitopes
(11, 12, 13). Ags contained in these apoptotic bodies are
introduced into MHC class I presentation pathways for
cross-presentation and stimulation of Ag-specific CD8 T cells
(14). DNA that is present in apoptotic bodies can also be
transferred into the APC and subsequently expressed within the APC
(15, 16, 17).
The generation of cytotoxic T cells is associated with the control of
viremia in HIV-1-infected patients, but CD4 Th responses and
neutralizing Ab responses are also likely to be involved in the immune
control of HIV-1 (18). Antiretroviral treatment results in
immune reconstitution but does not improve HIV-1-specific immunity. On
the contrary, HIV-1-specific CD4 and CD8 T cell-mediated responses
decline after introduction of antiretroviral treatment
(19, 20, 21). Thus, the reduction of HIV-1-specific cellular
immunity is likely to contribute to treatment failure and viral rebound
after interruption of therapy. Therapeutic vaccinations that are
capable of reconstituting HIV-1-specific immune responses may prove to
be an alternative strategy to obtain control of virus replication
(22, 23).
Persistent HIV-1 infection occurs only in humans and primates.
Therefore, vigorous efforts are made to develop small-animal models
(24). To overcome the cellular tropism of HIV-1, which is
a major obstacle in small-animal models, we have used a pseudotype
virus composed of the envelope of murine leukemia virus
(MuLV)3 and the HIV-1
LAI genome (25). Using such a pseudovirus, we have
previously shown that it is possible to deliver HIV-1 genes into murine
splenocytes (26). We have also demonstrated that
HIV-1/MuLV-infected splenocytes can provide a continuous release of
infectious HIV-1 in vivo and in
vitro4
(27). HIV-1 RNA and isolation of infectious HIV-1 could be
demonstrated up to 14 days after inoculation with live
HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells. HIV-1 DNA was also detectable in
splenocytes, at a somewhat lower frequency compared with cells isolated
from the peritoneal cavity. However, there were no indications of
reinfection of new murine cells in vivo. It was necessary to inoculate
live HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells, because cell-free HIV-1/MuLV did not
establish an infection (4).
In this study, we raised the question of whether apoptotic
HIV-1-infected cells are capable of eliciting HIV-specific immune
responses in vivo. Mice were vaccinated with apoptotic
HIV-1/MuLV-infected syngeneic splenocytes before challenge with live
HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells. We show that HIV-1-specific cellular and
humoral immune responses were induced after vaccination with apoptotic
HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells. Furthermore, immunization with apoptotic
HIV-1-infected cells also conferred protection against challenge with
live HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells.
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Materials and Methods
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Production of pseudotype virus
Preparation of the HIV-1 LAI/MuLV pseudotype virus was performed
as previously described (25, 26). In brief, amphotropic
MuLV (A4070) in the neomycin-resistant ampho-CEM-1B cell line (kindly
provided by Drs. D. H. and S. A. Spector at University of
California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA) was used to prepare pseudovirus
with the HIV-1 LAI strain. CEM-1B cells were cultured in RPMI 1640
medium (Life Technologies, Rockville, MD) supplemented with
antibiotics and 10% (v/v) FCS at a cell concentration of 5 x
105 cells/ml and infected with cell-free HIV-1
LAI stock virus (0.5 ml of HIV-1 containing 13 ng/ml p24). After
24 h of infection, the CEM-1B cells were washed and resuspended in
fresh RPMI medium containing G418 (400 µg/ml). The supernatant was
collected 56 days later, and cell-free supernatants were quantified
after centrifugation for production of HIV-1 p24 Ag and infectious
HIV-1 particles in primary murine spleen cells and peripheral blood
lymphocytes as well as in T cell lines (26). Aliquots were
stored at -70°C until use.
Production of syngeneic apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells
Infection of mouse splenocytes was performed as previously
described (26). In brief, C57BL/6 splenocytes were
cultured in RPMI 1640 medium and activated with Con A (Sigma-Aldrich,
St. Louis, MO) for 24 h. After washes, cells were infected with
HIV-1/MuLV or MuLV for 24 h and washed twice in RPMI medium
containing 10% FCS. Cells were cultured in RPMI medium containing 10%
FCS, and every third day, 50% of the medium was harvested for viral
titration and replaced with new medium. ELISA was used to quantify the
p24 content in cell-free supernatants at days 1, 3, and 6 after
infection, and tissue culture ID50 was
calculated. The efficiency of infection was also measured by
intracellular p24 staining. Approximately 5 x
105 splenocytes were fixed in 3.7% formaldehyde
(Sigma-Aldrich) and permeabilized with 0.1% saponin (Riedel-de Haen,
Seelze, Germany) dissolved in PBS, followed by incubation with the
intracellular HIV-1-specific anti-p24 Ab (PE-conjugated KC57;
Coulter, Miami, FL). Cells were analyzed by flow cytometry using a
FACSCalibur (BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA) (28). Stocks of
the virus-infected or noninfected cells were frozen in 10% DMSO until
use. Cells were thawed and washed before apoptosis induction by gamma
irradiation. The apoptotic process induced by gamma
irradiation (150 Gy) has previously been demonstrated by morphological
changes, flow cytometry of annexin V binding, and propidium
iodide staining and DNA fragmentation on agarose gels
(15, 16, 17).
Immunization and HIV-1/MuLV challenge
C57BL/6 mice from the Embryo and Genome Research core facility
at Karolinska Institutet (Stockholm, Sweden) were kept under germfree
pathogen-defined barrier conditions. The local animal research ethical
committee approved animal care and experimental procedures. Syngeneic
apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV-infected (dose equivalent of 0.84 ± 0.15
µg p24), MuLV-infected, or noninfected (12 x
106 cells/mouse) cells were inoculated i.p. Mice
were sacrificed after one or two immunizations with 3-wk interval. In
challenge experiments, mice were immunized twice before receiving the
infectious dose of 1 x 105 tissue culture
ID50 HIV-1/MuLV contained in
106 live cells i.p. Cell-free HIV-1/MuLV were
inoculated i.p using 8 x 106 tissue culture
ID50. Mice were sacrificed 810 days after
challenge. HIV-1 isolation was routinely performed from
106 peritoneal cells, and p24 secretion was
measured from PHA-stimulated human T cells at days 4, 7, 10, 13, 18,
and 21. HIV-1 proviral DNA was detected by nested PCR using pol primers
JA79JA82 (29). DNA corresponding to 100,000 mouse spleen
cells was run in each PCR, and DNA from each mouse was tested five
times.
T cell assays
Splenocytes (2 x 105 cells/well)
were cultured for 26 days in RPMI 1640 supplemented with 2 mM
L-glutamine, 5 x 10-5 M 2-ME,
10 mM HEPES, antibiotics, and 10% FCS. Ags were purified recombinant
proteins: Nef (0.6 µg/ml; kindly provided by Drs. B. Kohleisen and V.
Erfle, National Research Center for Environment and Health,
Neuherberg, Germany), p24 (2 µg/ml; Protein Sciences, Meriden, CT),
control protein (2 µg/ml; Protein Sciences), and Con A (2 µg/ml;
Sigma-Aldrich). Proliferation was measured using
[3H]thymidine (1 µCi/well; Amersham Pharmacia
Biotech, Piscataway, NJ). Liquid scintillation was used to reveal cpm.
Background values from cultures with control protein were subtracted
from mean values of peak responses. Alternatively, splenocytes were
labeled with CFSE (1 µM; Sigma-Aldrich) in PBS for 15 min according
to the manufacturers instructions. After 4 days of culture (2 x
105 cells/well; Costar, Corning, NY), cells were
collected, washed in PBS containing 2% FCS, and stained with
anti-CD3-APC, anti-CD8-PerCP, and anti-CD4-PE (BD
Biosciences). Flow cytometry analyses were performed using a
FACSCalibur, and data was analyzed using CellQuest software (BD
Biosciences). IFN-
release into the supernatants of Ag-stimulated
splenocytes after 48 h was measured using the Quantikine ELISA kit
(R&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN) according to the manufacturers
instructions.
Ab assays
The levels of HIV-1-specific Ab in serum, bronchoalveolar
lavage, and fecal pellets were quantified using ELISA, as previously
described (30, 31, 32). Briefly, the recombinant HIV-1 Ags
used to coat the plates (1 µg/ml) were Tat (kindly provided by Dr. J.
Karn, Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology,
Cambridge, U.K.), Nef (kindly provided by Drs. B. Kohleisen and
V. Erfle, National Research Center for Environment and Health), Rev
(Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, Stockholm,
Sweden), p24 and gp160 (Protein Sciences) as well as baculovirus
derived control protein (CAG). For epitope analyses, plates were coated
with specific peptides from clade B/LAI gp41 (NEQLLELDKWASLWN),
clade A/UG031 gp41 (EKDLLALDKWANLWN), or clade C/BR25 gp41
(NEGDLLALDSWNLWN) peptides (10 µg/ml; Thermo Hybaid, Ulm, Germany).
Mouse sera were diluted (1/50, 1/250, 1/1,250, and 1/6,250)
in PBS with 0.5% BSA and 0.05% Tween 20 (Sigma-Aldrich).
HRP-labeled goat anti-mouse IgG and anti-IgA using
o-phenylene diamine as a substrate were used to reveal the
presence of Ab by a color reaction.
Statistical Analysis
Statistical significance was assessed by the nonparametric
Mann-Whitney U test for T cell responses and Ab levels.
Fishers exact test was used to evaluate significance regarding
protective immunity and was considered significant at p
0.05.
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Results
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Immunization
To investigate whether HIV-1-infected apoptotic cells are capable
of inducing immune responses in vivo, we prepared stocks of
HIV-1/MuLV-infected or noninfected splenocytes (26). A
high frequency of murine splenocytes expressed intracellular HIV-1 p24
Ag at low levels after infection, as detected by flow cytometry (Fig. 1
). Due to the relatively low p24
expression, an exact frequency of p24-expressing cells could not
be measured in the murine cells. Instead, a dose equivalent of
0.84 ± 0.15 µg p24 measured after cell lysis (12 x
106 cells) was used for each immunization.
DNA-damaging agents such as gamma irradiation induce apoptosis through
extensive involvement of the mitochondrial pathway (reviewed in Ref.
33). We have previously demonstrated that 150 Gy of gamma
irradiation induces apoptosis in noninfected and HIV-1-infected cells
with morphological changes and formation of apoptotic bodies. In
this study, C57BL/6 mice were immunized i.p. with gamma-irradiated
HIV-1/MuLV-infected or noninfected syngeneic splenocytes. The i.p.
route was chosen because we aimed to target Ags to the spleen.

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FIGURE 1. Intracellular HIV-1 p24 expression in murine splenocytes used for
production of apoptotic cells. Flow cytometry of intracellular p24
staining in control cells (dotted line) and HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells
(solid line). Filled histogram shows isotype control of
HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells. Data show log of fluorescence intensity. A
total of 30,000 cells per sample were analyzed.
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Inoculation i.p. with live HIV-1/MuLV-infected splenocytes can provide
release of infectious HIV-1 in vivo. HIV-1 virus isolation was positive
from the peritoneal cavity in 43 of 44 animals and from the spleen in
10 of 22 mice, while only 1 of 22 was virus positive in the
blood.4 Because the peritoneal cavity has
the highest incidence of virus-isolation positive results in this
murine model, in this study, we assessed whether immunization with
lethally irradiated (150 Gy) HIV-1/MuLV cells led to release of
infectious HIV-1 in the peritoneal cavity. We were unable to recover
infectious HIV-1 from mice immunized with irradiated cells, while
immunization with live HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells led to isolation of
virus (Table I
). Inoculation with
cell-free HIV-1/MuLV did not establish an infection (Table I
). Three
weeks after the first apoptotic cell immunization, the first groups of
mice were sacrificed while the remaining mice received a booster
vaccination. After an additional three weeks, the second groups of mice
were sacrificed and the remaining mice were challenged with live
HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells.
HIV-1-specific T cell responses
To assess the capacity of apoptotic syngeneic HIV-1/MuLV-infected
cells to induce cell-mediated HIV-1-specific immune responses, we
analyzed lymphocyte proliferation and IFN-
production after
restimulation with HIV-1 Ags. Data from six individual mice in each
experimental group are shown (Fig. 2
).
HIV-1 p24-specific lymphocyte proliferation was induced in four of six
mice after one inoculation with apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV-infected spleen
cells but was more pronounced after a second boost (six of six) (Fig. 2
A). Mice immunized with apoptotic control cells did not
show any p24-specific lymphocyte proliferation (0 of 12) (Fig. 2
B). Both groups showed p24-specific proliferation after
challenge with live HIV-1/MuLV-infected spleen cells. However, the
values obtained in mice immunized with apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV cells were
significantly higher (p
0.04) compared with
the group that received apoptotic control cells. Mice immunized with
apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells showed a strong Nef-specific
proliferation after the first immunization in contrast to the control
group (Fig. 2
, C and D). A second group of mice
immunized twice with apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells had a lower
Nef-induced proliferation (p
0.003) compared
with the first vaccination group (Fig. 2
C). However, the
Nef-specific responses were significantly higher
(p
0.002) in the groups that were immunized
with apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells compared with controls. To
assess whether Ag delivered by using apoptotic cells were presented to
CD4+ and/or CD8+ T cells,
splenocytes from mice immunized once 6 wk before sacrifice were labeled
with CFSE and thereafter restimulated with Ag in vitro for 4 days.
Recovered cells were stained with anti-CD3, anti-CD4, and
anti-CD8 mAbs before analyses by flow cytometry. To reflect the
actual numbers of cells collected from each well after in vitro
culture, data were acquired during 3 min for each sample. The acquired
events were gated on live CD3+ cells (Fig. 3
). Fewer live CD3+
cells were collected from the wells containing cells from the control
group in accordance with the cpm data. There was a striking
CD8+ Nef-specific response detected in mice
immunized with apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV cells (Fig. 3
). Frequency analyses
revealed that 68.6 ± 13.3% of the
CD8+CD3+ cells had
proliferated after Nef restimulation in the group that received an
immunization with apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV cells compared with 15.1 ±
17.3% in the control group. In addition, the total number of cells
recovered was higher in the group that received apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV
cells (Fig. 3
). A significant increased
CD4+CD3+ Nef-specific
response (9.6 ± 2.2% as compared with 2.8 ± 1.3% in the
control group; Mann-Whitney test, p
0.05) was also
detected after immunization with apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV cells. Analyses
of the p24-specific response revealed significant proliferation of both
CD4+ (8.6 ± 1.8%) and
CD8+ (47.5 ± 9.9%) T cells after
immunization with apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV cells compared with the
CD4+ (2.1 ± 0.9%) and
CD8+ (5.9 ± 3.9%) T cells in the control
group (Mann-Whitney test, p
0.05).

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FIGURE 2. Animals immunized with apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV-infected syngeneic cells
exhibit HIV-1-induced proliferation. Mice were immunized with apoptotic
HIV-1/MuLV-infected (A, C, and
E) or noninfected (B, D,
and F) syngeneic splenocytes. Mice were immunized once,
twice, or twice plus a challenge dose with replication-competent live
HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells as indicated by arrows. Splenocytes were
restimulated in vitro with recombinant p24 (A and
B), Nef (C and D), or Con
A (E and F), as well as control protein.
Results shown are for six individual mice in each group. Significant
differences between the corresponding groups that received
immunizations with infected or noninfected apoptotic cells by the
nonparametric Mann-Whitney test are indicated by *,
p 0.05, and **, p
0.01, respectively, and the mean values are depicted by lines
().
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FIGURE 3. Immunization with apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells elicits both
CD4+ and CD8+ HIV-1-specific T cell
proliferation. CD4/CD8 expression and proliferation of CD3+
T cells responding to p24 and Nef restimulation are shown. Mice were
immunized with apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV-infected (left) or
noninfected (right) syngeneic splenocytes once 6 wk
before sacrifice. Splenocytes were restimulated in vitro for 4 days
with recombinant Nef (top) or p24
(bottom). Data are gated to show CFSE and surface marker
expression on live CD3+ splenocytes based upon forward and
side light scatter profiles as well as CD3 surface expression.
Representative data from two individual mice of four per group are
shown.
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ELISA was used to detect the presence of IFN-
in the tissue culture
supernatants from the p24- and control protein-stimulated splenocytes
(Fig. 4
). One immunization with apoptotic
bodies derived from HIV-1/MuLV-infected splenocytes resulted in
p24-specific induction of IFN-
in three of six mice analyzed, and
after two immunizations, in six of six mice. The control groups did not
show any IFN-
release. These data showed induction of T cell
responses after immunization with apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV-infected
splenocytes.
HIV-1-specific humoral immune responses
To assess the systemic and mucosa-associated humoral responses
after vaccination, we used ELISA to quantify the levels of Ab to HIV-1
Ags in sera, feces, and bronchoalveolar lavage specimens (
Figs. 57

). Immunization with apoptotic
HIV-1/MuLV-infected splenocytes resulted in a significant rise in the
levels of anti-HIV-1-specific Ab of the IgG type against p24,
gp160, Rev, and Tat (Fig. 5
). This was further boosted after challenge
with live HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells (Fig. 5
). Immunization with
apoptotic noninfected splenocytes did not result in significant rises
in anti-HIV-1-specific Ab levels. There was no induction of Ab
directed against the control protein CAG after vaccination with
apoptotic cells (Fig. 5
, I and J). The level of
anti-Nef IgG in sera was not significantly induced after
immunization with apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV-infected splenocytes compared
with the corresponding control group. Increased levels of anti-Nef
IgG in sera were instead detected after apoptotic cell immunization in
both groups (data not shown). To further study the extent of the
humoral response induced after immunization with apoptotic
HIV-1/MuLV-infected splenocytes, the levels of HIV-1-specific IgA Ab in
sera were also measured. There was a significant rise in serum IgA Ab
directed against p24 and gp160 after vaccination with apoptotic
HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells (Fig. 6
, A and B). Furthermore, inoculation with apoptotic
HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells provided an unusually effective sensitization
to mucosal IgA induction by the challenge. Mucosa (gut)-associated IgA
Abs against p24, gp160, Nef, and Tat were significantly induced, as
measured in fecal pellets (Fig. 6
, CK). In
addition, in bronchoalveolar lavage specimens from mice vaccinated with
apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV-infected splenocytes and challenged with
HIV-1/MuLV, a significant induction of anti-Nef IgA Abs was
detected (Fig. 7
). These data show the
induction of a broad systemic and mucosa-associated humoral
HIV-1-specific immune response after immunization with apoptotic
HIV-1/MuLV-infected splenocytes.

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FIGURE 5. Animals immunized with apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV-infected
syngeneic cells elicit systemic IgG responses against HIV-1. Mice were
immunized with apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV-infected (A,
C, E, G, and
I) or noninfected (B, D,
F, H, and J) syngeneic
cells. Mice were immunized once, twice, or twice plus a challenge dose
with live HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells as indicated by arrows. Ab
responses (IgG) in sera to p24 (A and B),
gp160 (C and D), Rev (E
and F), Tat (G and H), or
control (rCAG) (I and J) proteins were
measured. Results shown are for six individual mice in each group. OD
values from 1/50 dilution are shown. Significant differences between
the corresponding groups that were immunized with infected or
noninfected apoptotic cells by the nonparametric Mann-Whitney test are
indicated by *, p 0.05, and **,
p 0.01, respectively.
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FIGURE 6. Animals immunized with apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV-infected
syngeneic cells elicit systemic and mucosal IgA responses. Mice were
immunized with apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV-infected (A,
B, C, E, G,
I, and K) or noninfected (D,
F, H, and J) syngeneic
cells. Mice were immunized once, twice, or twice plus a challenge dose
with live HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells as indicated by arrows. Ab
responses (IgA) in sera to p24 (A) and gp160 were
measured. , Results from individual mice. Mean OD values ± SD
from six mice vaccinated with apoptotic noninfected splenocytes twice
and then challenged with HIV-MuLV are depicted ( ). Significant
differences in the groups that received immunizations with
HIV-1/MuLV-infected apoptotic cells as compared with values obtained in
the apoptotic noninfected control group by the nonparametric
Mann-Whitney test are indicated by *, p 0.05,
and **, p 0.01, respectively. Ab responses
(IgA) in feces to p24 (C and D), gp160
(E and F), Rev (G and
H), Nef (I and J), and Tat
(K) proteins were measured. Each dot represents results
from individual mice. OD values from 1/2 dilutions are shown.
Significant differences between the corresponding groups that were
immunized with infected or noninfected apoptotic cells by the
nonparametric Mann-Whitney test are indicated by *,
p 0.05, and **, p
0.01, respectively. The significance of values regarding Tat reactivity
was compared with prevaccination values. Tat reactivity in mice
immunized with apoptotic noninfected cells was not determined.
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To further characterize the HIV-1 envelope protein specificity of the
serum IgG, we performed ELISA using the gp41 clade B/LAI peptide
containing the ELDKWASLWN epitope, which is well documented as being
part of a highly conserved broad HIV-1 subtype neutralizing epitope
(34, 35). We were unable to measure reactivity against the
clade B/LAI epitope in the control group. This was also true 10 days
after challenge (Fig. 8
A).
Inoculation two times with apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV cells resulted in
reactivity against the B/LAI epitope, which also remained after
challenge. To investigate whether cross-clade reactivity was obtained,
sera from one animal was also incubated with a gp41 clade A/UG031 and
gp41 clade C/BR25 peptides (Fig. 8
B). Before immunization,
this animal did not show any gp41 reactivity, but after two
inoculations with apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV cells, reactivity against all
three peptides was revealed. This reactivity also remained after
challenge with live HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells.
Induction of protective immunity
Inoculation with live HIV-1/MuLV infected cells in naive mice
leads to recovery of HIV-1 from the peritoneal cavity and the spleen
between 8 and 14 days postinoculation; thereafter, the infection is
cleared. Inoculation has to be performed with live HIV-1/MuLV-infected
cells, because challenge with cell-free HIV-1/MuLV has not resulted in
any established infection4 (Table I
). To
determine the capacity of the apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells to
induce protective immunity in mice, we challenged immunized and control
animals by i.p. injection with live HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells (Table II
). After 1012 days, the mice were
sacrificed and the peritoneal cells were collected and analyzed for
viral content. Eight of 10 mice that were immunized with apoptotic
noninfected cells, 3 of 4 mice immunized with apoptotic MuLV-infected
cells, and 4 of 4 nonimmunized mice still harbored
replication-competent HIV-1. However, we could not isolate HIV-1 from
mice immunized with apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells
(n = 12). Thus, mice immunized with apoptotic
HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells were able to control virus replication as
compared with mice immunized with apoptotic noninfected
(p
0.001) and MuLV-infected cells
(p
0.008), as well as nonimmunized animals
(p
0.001). HIV-1 DNA PCR analyses revealed
that both apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV and apoptotic control groups of mice
were positive for HIV-1 DNA after challenge. Before challenge, two mice
that had received two immunizations with apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV cells
were HIV-1 DNA positive while none in the control group was HIV-1 DNA
positive (Table III
).
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Table II. Protective immunity was achieved after immunization
with apoptotic syngeneic HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells in a murine
HIV-1/MuLV-challenge model
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Discussion
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An increasing number of viral Ags have been shown to be
cross-presented after uptake of apoptotic bodies, including Ags from
influenza, vaccinia, cytomegalovirus, EBV, and HIV-1 (11, 12, 13, 36, 37, 38, 39). In addition, measles virus and canarypox virus
infection have been shown to result in uptake of apoptotic bodies and
maturation of bystander dendritic cells (40, 41). Although
these studies have examined Ag presentation in vitro, none of them have
investigated the immunogenicity of virus-infected apoptotic cells in
vivo. The importance of the cross-priming phenomenon in viral
infections has been demonstrated in vivo for poliovirus, which infects
nonhematopoietic cells (36). In addition, Ag-laden
apoptotic bodies created by vectors coexpressing influenza virus
hemagglutinin or nucleoprotein genes and mutant caspase genes have been
shown to induce T cell responses (42). The present study
is the first demonstration of inoculation with apoptotic HIV-1-infected
cells resulting in HIV-1-specific immunity. It also demonstrates that
immunizations with apoptotic cells induce systemic and
mucosa-associated Ab in addition to having adjuvant properties for
induction of T cell responses. Moreover, vaccination with lethally
irradiated syngeneic HIV-1/MuLV-infected splenocytes conferred
protection against viral challenge. Serum IgG was induced against p24,
gp160, Rev, and Tat HIV-1 Ags in all immunized animals at frequencies
of 83100% after at least two i.p. immunizations. Serum IgA responses
were detected already after one i.p. immunization toward the structural
HIV-1 Ags gp160 and p24.
In the present study, a striking Nef-specific
CD8+ T cell response was observed already after
one inoculation of apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells. The response
was significantly reduced after a booster immunization. Additional
experiments are required to more closely characterize the Nef-specific
responses.
The present study showed that i.p. immunization with
irradiated syngeneic HIV-1-infected cells resulted in effective
induction of mucosal HIV-1-specific IgA. The lowest proportion of
responders (two of six) was seen toward the regulatory protein Rev,
while all mice responded against the other four HIV-1 Ags tested. We
have recently found a poor frequency and low magnitude of
HIV-Ag-specific mucosal fecal IgA after a single i.p. injection of
viable HIV-1/MuLV-infected syngeneic spleen cells.4 In only
20% of the animals could a p24- or Nef-Ag-specific fecal IgA be
detected, while in bronchoalveolar lavage, 6080% of the mice
developed IgA against p24, gp160, or Nef. Thus, the present study
showed that the i.p. route of immunization with apoptotic
HIV-1-infected cells could efficiently prime the local mucosa of the
intestines, even though it seems as if at least two immunizations are
required to obtain detectable mucosa-associated IgA (Fig. 6
). Other
studies using recombinant proteins or peptides delivered i.p. indicate
that this route of immunization followed by a mucosal booster results
in significant vaccine Ag-specific fecal IgA responses
(43, 44). In this study, we show for the first time that
mucosal IgA can be obtained against several HIV-1 Ags by inoculation of
apoptotic HIV-1-infected cells to the local intestinal mucosa. Analysis
of the HIV-1 envelope protein specificity of the serum IgG revealed
that the Ab specifically reacted with the transmembrane protein gp41.
The IgG were found to recognize the gp41661670
peptide (ELDKWASLWN), well documented as being part of a highly
conserved broadly reactive HIV-1 subtype neutralizing epitope
(34, 35).
The feasibility of using apoptotic HIV-1/MuLV-infected cells for
induction of immunity without the use of an adjuvant implies that
necessary signals for immune activation are provided in vivo after
immunization with apoptotic HIV-1-infected cells (8).
Successful immunization with a concentrate of lethally irradiated
cells, which have initiated the apoptotic cell death program, is
consistent with effective uptake by phagocytes, such as Ag-presenting
dendritic cells. After uptake of Ag in the periphery, dendritic cells
undergo maturation and migrate to secondary lymphoid organs where
recruitment of naive T cells occurs (45). For effective Ag
presentation, dendritic cells require costimulation, and it is
conceivable that such a signal is provided by secondary necrotic events
after inoculation with a bolus of lethally irradiated cells and/or by
viral motifs (4, 5, 8, 9, 14, 46). However, it should be
noted that at present we have no data to support uptake by dendritic
cells after inoculation i.p. Induction of protective immunity
demonstrated in the present report required that the apoptotic cells
were HIV-1/MuLV infected indicating that altered cell-surface Ags were
not involved in protection.
We were unable to isolate virus after immunization with lethally
irradiated cells in the present study indicating that the immune
responses observed were not due to virus replication. However, the
question of whether immunization with irradiated HIV-1-infected cells
leads to virus replication in vivo needs to be addressed in a highly
pathogenic animal model due to the limited capacity of HIV-1/MuLV to
replicate in mice as compared with replication of SIV or SHIV in
macaques. Additional experiments are also required to formally
demonstrate whether the immune responses measured in the present report
were the result of cross-presentation of Ags.
If inoculation with apoptotic HIV-1-infected cells confers immunity,
why is effective immunity often not obtained during HIV-1 infection?
First, it is unclear whether HIV-1-infected cells undergo apoptosis in
vivo so as to provide the necessary cues for immune activation. The
viral dose, the site of infection, the type of cell death of the
infected cell, as well as apoptosis in noninfected bystander cells may
vary during HIV-1 infection, thereby influencing the outcome of immune
responses. An intriguing question is whether individual
variations in induction of apoptotic cell death in infected and
noninfected cells during early HIV-1 infection influence disease
progression. Second, viral proteins may inhibit effective Ag
presentation after uptake of apoptotic HIV-1-infected cells. HIV-1 Tat
has been shown to prevent phagocytosis of apoptotic bodies by dendritic
cells (47). It is also noteworthy that HIV-1 Nef, like
many other microbial proteins, has evolved multiple ways to protect
HIV-1-infected cells from apoptosis (48, 49, 50, 51). Third, the
immune-evasion mechanisms induced by HIV-1 replication may overcome or
prevent effective induction of any immune response. However,
antiretroviral treatment leads to reconstitution of immunity to many
pathogens and also allows patients to respond to immunization using
recall Ags and neo-Ags (52). Therapeutic vaccination
during effective antiretroviral therapy is a strategy that may give the
immune system the power to combat immune-evasion factors, such as Nef
and Tat, and also enable control of virus replication after
discontinuation of antiretroviral therapy. We speculate that it may be
feasible to induce an immune response by therapeutic vaccination with
apoptotic autologous HIV-1-infected cells while maintaining effective
antiretroviral treatment. A further advantage of autologous vaccination
is that HIV-1 strains with variant sequences are included in the
composition (53).
 |
Acknowledgments
|
|---|
We thank Reinhold Benthin for skillful handling of animals and
Hernan Concha for flow cytometry.
 |
Footnotes
|
|---|
1 This work was supported by the Swedish Research Council; the Tore Nilsson, Magnus Bergvall, and Axel and Margaret Johnson foundations; the Swedish Society of Medicine; and the Swedish Physicians Against AIDS Research Foundation. 
2 Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Anna-Lena Spetz, Center for Infectious Medicine, F82, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge University Hospital, S-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden. E-mail address: anna-lena.spetz{at}medhs.ki.se 
3 Abbreviation used in this paper: MuLV, murine leukemia virus. 
4 J. Hinkula, P. Lundholm, R. Benthin, K. Okuda, and B. Wahren. HIV-1/MuLV pseudovirus challenge gives rise to infectious HIV-1 in primary murine cells in vitro and in vivo. Submitted for publication. 
Received for publication January 28, 2002.
Accepted for publication September 5, 2002.
 |
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