title: The immune response to hepatitis B virus.
abstract: Cell-mediated immune response to nucleocapsid determinants, including HBcAg and HBeAg, are important in the clearance of HBV-infected hepatocytes. This process is modulated by interferon and humoral responses to these antigens. Antibodies to the envelope proteins contribute to protective immunity, but the relative importance of pre-S and S determinants in evoking a response and the relative contributions of these antibodies in virus neutralization remains unclear. It is known, however, that antibodies binding to the RFHBs1 epitope on the HBs sequence 124-137 are capable of protecting against further infection and are present in convalescent subjects and in recipients of the plasma-derived and recombinant hepatitis B vaccines. Detailed analysis of the specificity of the anti-HBs response in vaccinees shows it to be qualitatively similar to that seen during recovery from natural infection.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D002213:Capsid / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D014611:Vaccination; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000939:Epitopes; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins