Development and evaluation of a new interferon-gamma release assay for the diagnosis of tuberculosis infection in HIV-infected individuals in China.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals are at high risk of contracting tuberculosis (TB) disease, and current methods for diagnosing TB infection are less effective in this population. We developed and evaluated a new interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA), named A.TB, in HIV-infected individuals, with and without active TB, in a setting of high TB burden and low HIV prevalence.

High resolution human leukocyte antigen class I allele frequencies and HIV-1 infection associations in Chinese Han and Uyghur cohorts.

Background: Host immunogenetic factors such as HLA class I polymorphism are important to HIV-1 infection risk and AIDS progression. Previous studies using high-resolution HLA class I profile data of Chinese populations appeared insufficient to provide information for HIV-1 vaccine development and clinical trial design. Here we reported HLA class I association with HIV-1 susceptibility in a Chinese Han and a Chinese Uyghur cohort.

HIV vaccine candidates generate in vitro T cell response to putative epitopes in Chinese-origin rhesus macaques.

The Indian rhesus macaque is the established animal model for HIV infection and vaccine research. Growing evidence suggests that the more readily available Chinese rhesus macaque may be a more relevant option. As increasing numbers of novel Chinese rhesus MHC alleles are reported, we decided to explore potential HIV vaccine epitopes in this model.

Human leukocyte antigen class I and class II allele frequencies and HIV-1 infection associations in a Chinese cohort.

China has one of the most rapidly spreading HIV-1 epidemics. To develop a vaccine targeted to specific human leukocyte antigen (HLA) epitopes in this population, allele distribution analysis is needed. We performed low-resolution class I and II HLA typing of a cohort of 393 subjects from mainland China using a polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSPs).

Recombinant hepatitis B large surface antigen, successfully produced in Escherichia coli, stimulates T-cell response in mice.

A fusion protein consisting of the PA binding domain of anthrax lethal factor (LFn) and a codon optimized Hepatitis B virus large surface antigen (LHBsAg) expresses well in Escherichia coli. The LFn-LHBsAg fusion protein effectively elicits a cell-mediated immune (CMI) response to the hepatitis B viral antigens in mice.