T-Cell Epitope-Specific Immune Response Correlates with Milder Disease in Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome

Hantaan virus (HTNV) infection in humans is a serious public health concern in Asia. A potent T cell activation peptide vaccine from HTNV structure protein represents a promising immunotherapy for disease control. However, the T cell epitopes of the HTNV restricted by the HLA alleles and the role of epitope-specific T cell response after HTNV infection remain largely unexplored. T cells were characterized with the production of interferon-γ, expression of CD69 and the strong capacity of proliferation. T-cell responses would be closely related with the progression and the severity of the disease, which could provide the first step toward effective peptide vaccine development against HTNV infection in humans