Antibody reactive to a hepatitis C virus (HCV)-derived peptide capable of inducing HLA-A2 restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes is detectable in a majority of HCV-infected individuals without HLA-A2 restriction.

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a single-strand RNA virus. Approximately 170 million people around the world are persistently infected and are at risk of liver cirrhosis or cancer. There is an urgent need to develop both therapeutic and diagnostic modalities of HCV. One approach to achieve these goals would be to determine highly immunodominant HCV peptides which are recognized by both cellular and humoral immunities. This study reports one such peptide, HCV-core protein at positions 35-44, having HLA-A2 binding motifs. IgG specific to this CTL-epitope peptide is consistently detectable in a majority of the patients with HCV infection regardless of the different HLA types, different disease conditions, and different HCV-genotypes tested. The sequence LPRR at positions 37-40 is considered to be the fine epitope recognized by the IgG. These results may provide new insights for the development of both therapeutic and diagnostic modalities of HCV at lower costs.

• Authors: Yukari Takao, Akira Yamada, Shigeru Yutani, Michio Sata, Kyogo Itoh
• Journal: Microbiology and immunology (Microbiol Immunol) Vol. 48 Issue 7 Pg. 507-17 ( 2004) ISSN: 0385-5600 [Print] Australia
• PMID: 15272196 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• HLA-A2 Antigen
• Hepatitis C Antibodies
• Immunodominant Epitopes
• Immunoglobulin G
• Peptides
• Viral Core Proteins
• nucleocapsid protein, Hepatitis C virus

Topics

• Amino Acid Sequence
• HLA-A2 Antigen (metabolism)
• Hepacivirus (immunology)
• Hepatitis C (immunology, virology)
• Hepatitis C Antibodies (blood)
• Humans
• Immunodominant Epitopes
• Immunoglobulin G (blood)
• Molecular Sequence Data
• Peptides (chemistry, immunology)
• T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic (immunology)
• Viral Core Proteins (chemistry, immunology)