title: Immune recognition of linear antigenic regions within the hepatitis B pre-C and C-gene translation products using synthetic peptides.
abstract: The antibody recognition of linear regions within the amino acid (aa) sequence of hepatitis B (HB) core antigen (HBcAg), e antigen (HBeAg), and pre-C region was investigated in 46 patients infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV), and one immunized rabbit. Peptide analogues were synthesized to cover the complete product of the C-gene, including the pre-C region using various synthetic methods. Two carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) with anti-HBe, recognized pin-bound decapeptides covering amino acid (aa) 76-83 of HBc/eAg, and the most essential residues were found to be Asp78, Pro79, Arg82, and Asp83. Pre-C peptides were recognized by IgG1 or IgG3 in sera from two out of ten cases with acute HB, in four out of twelve sera from HBeAg-positive carriers of HBsAg, and in two out of twelve sera from anti-HBe-positive carriers of HBsAg. Two sera from the cases of acute HB showed strong reactivity of the IgG3 isotype with HBc/eAg peptides 61-85. Five of the sera from HBeAg-positive carriers of HBsAg were weakly reactive with peptides 41-60, 61-85, 121-140, and/or 141-160. Eight of the sera from anti-HBe-positive carriers of HBsAg recognized aa 121-140 of HBc/e with IgG1, IgG3, and/or IgG4 isotypes. IgG from one immunized rabbit recognized peptides 1-20, 61-85, and 71-90, and the T-cells recognized peptides 1-20 and 71-90. Thus, human and rabbit antibodies recognize linear antigenic regions within the pre-C, and within regions 1-20, 41-60, 61-85, 121-140, and 141-160 of HBcAg.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, National Bacteriological Laboratory, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sällberg
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Rudén
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wahren
authors.forename: L O
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Magnius
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000939:Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D010442:Peptide Chain Initiation, Translational; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011817:Rabbits; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D009842:Oligopeptides