Mugaba, S.Nakiboneka, R.Nanyonjo, M.Bugembe-Lule, D.Kaddu, I.Nanteza, B.Tweyongyere, R.Kaleebu, P.Serwanga, J.2023-03-072023-03-072014Mugaba, S., Nakiboneka, R., Nanyonjo, M., Bugembe-Lule, D., Kaddu, I., Nanteza, B., ... & Serwanga, J. (2014). Group M consensus Gag and Nef peptides are as efficient at detecting clade A1 and D cross-subtype T-cell functions as subtype-specific consensus peptides. Vaccine, 32(30), 3787-3795.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2014.05.0210264-410Xhttps://nru.uncst.go.ug/handle/123456789/8098Evaluating HIV-1 specific T-cell response in African populations is sometimes compromised by extensive virus diversity and paucity of non-clade B reagents. We evaluated whether consensus group M (ConM) peptides could serve as comparable substitutes for detecting immune responses in clade A and clade D HIV-1 infection. Frequencies, breadths and polyfunctionality (≥3 functions: IFN-γ, IL-2, TNF-α and Perforin) of HIV-specific responses utilizing ConM, ConA and ConD Gag and Nef peptides was compared. Median genetic distances of infecting gag sequences from consensus group M were (8.9%, IQR 8.2–9.7 and 9%, IQR 3.3–10) for consensus A and D, respectively. Of 24 subjects infected with A and D clade virus, Gag responses were detected in comparable proportions of subjects when using ConM peptides 22/24, ConA peptides 17/24, and ConD peptides 21/24; p=0.12. Nef responses were also detected at similar proportions of subjects when using ConM peptides 15/23, ConA peptides 19/23, and ConD peptides 16/23, p=0.39. Virus-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell polyfunctionality were also detected in similar proportions of infected individuals when using different peptide sets. These data support the use of consensus group M overlapping peptide sets as reagents for detecting HIV-specific responses in a clade A and D infected population, but underscore the limitations of utilizing these reagents when evaluating the breadth of virus-specific responses.enHIV-1 diversityT-cell responsesGroup M peptidesArticle