A gp120 HIV peptide with high similarity to HLA class II beta chains enhances PPD-specific and autoreactive T cell activation.

The recent report that anti-gp120 antibodies can be induced by allogeneic stimuli in experimental animals in the absence of HIV, has focused attention on the structural similarities between gp120 and MHC. Here we report that some HIV+ individuals develop antibodies which similarly react with the gp120 HIV sequence (aa 254-263) and with the HLA-DR beta chains (aa 142-151). As these two peptides share a high level of similarity, we have investigated the role of this gp120 region on HLA class II mediated T cell recognition. The synthetic peptide corresponding to the gp120 HIV sequence aa 254-263 has been tested on T cell line (TCL) activation. Both the PPD-specific and the self-HLA reactive TCL proliferation increased in the presence of this peptide. Prepulsing experiments indicate that this enhancing effect carried out by HIV peptide is exerted at the level of antigen presentation. Moreover, the specificity of this interaction is supported by the fact that a MoAb specific for this HIV peptide blocked the autoreactive TCL proliferation, similarly to the inhibition carried out by anticlass II antibody. These data support the hypothesis that the functional homology between the HIV peptide and the HLA beta chain described may be involved in the pathogenesis of AIDS.