title: Antibodies in anti-HBe-positive patient sera bind to an HBe protein expressed on the cell surface of human hepatoma cells: implications for virus clearance.
abstract: The relevance of the recently described membrane-bound form of the HBe protein for the antiviral immune response was examined. The data show that antibodies in anti-HBe, but not in anti-HBc-positive human sera efficiently bind to the membrane expressed HBe. No evidence was obtained that the HBc can reach the cell surface in a form that can be detected with human antibodies. The findings suggest that the decline of virus titer that is usually observed after seroconversion from HBe to anti-HBe might be the result of an antibody-mediated elimination of infected cells.
authors.affiliation: Zentrum für Molekulare Biologie, University of Heidelberg, FRG.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Schlicht
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: von Brunn
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Theilmann
mesh_terms: D001692:Biological Transport; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000276:immunology*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens