title: Selection of antigenic and immunogenic mimics of hepatitis C virus using sera from patients.
abstract: Using sera from hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients and noninfected subjects to screen random peptide libraries displayed on phage, we selected peptides specifically reacting with sera from infected patients. These phage- borne peptides were shown to mimic distinct HCV determinants. They detected in all cases the presence of anti-HCV Abs in a large panel of patients' sera, thus demonstrating the high sensitivity of the selected peptides as diagnostic markers. In addition, this diagnostic approach allowed a detailed characterization of the individual humoral response to viral infection. Phage-displayed HCV mimics were substitutes for the authentic HCV epitopes in inducing a strong specific response against HCV when used as immunogens in mice. These results support the search for HCV mimics with the potential to elicit a protective immune response as leads for the development of a mimotope-based vaccine against viral infection.
authors.affiliation: P. Angeletti Institute for Research in Molecular Biology, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Prezzi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nuzzo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meola
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Delmastro
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Galfrè
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cortese
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nicosia
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Monaci
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D015415:Biomarkers; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D051379:Mice; D018716:Molecular Mimicry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D015415:Biomarkers; D010455:Peptides; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines