title: Specificity of antibodies reactive with hepatitis B surface antigen following immunization with synthetic peptides.
abstract: The amino acid sequence 139-147 from hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) has previously been shown to represent a B-cell epitope with potential as a component of a synthetic peptide vaccine against hepatitis B. In this paper, two regions of HBsAg which act as T-cell epitopes in inbred mice have been identified (residues 23-34 and residues 160-171). The ability of synthetic peptides representing these epitopes to provide help for the production of antibody against the 139-147 epitope has been assessed following their co-linear synthesis with the B-cell epitope and following co-immunization of the peptides in an uncoupled form. Both these strategies result in the induction of anti-peptide antibodies which specifically react with recombinant HBsAg. The results presented give further support to the concept that synthetic peptides representing appropriately chosen B- and T-cell epitopes from HBsAg could form the basis of a synthetic vaccine against hepatitis B.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK.
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Steward
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Partidos
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: D'Mello
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Howard
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007114:Immunization; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic