title: Fine specificity of the human T cell response to hepatitis B virus core antigen.
abstract: The fine specificity of the human T cell response to the hepatitis B virus core antigen (HBcAg) was investigated in 23 patients with acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection using a panel of short synthetic peptides covering the entire core region. An immunodominant T cell epitope which was recognized by all except one patient, was identified within the core sequence 50-69. Two further important T cell recognition sites were represented by the amino acid sequences 1-20 and 117-131, which were stimulatory for the T cells of 69% and 73% of the patients, respectively. T cell recognition of the synthetic peptides was HLA class II restricted because the peptide-induced T cell proliferation was inhibited by anti-HLA class II but not by anti-HLA class I monoclonal antibodies. These findings may be relevant to the development of future preventive and therapeutic strategies against HBV infection.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D006680:HLA Antigens; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D010446:Peptide Fragments