Serological detection of hepatitis B virus genotypes by ELISA with monoclonal antibodies to type-specific epitopes in the preS2-region product.
An ELISA was developed for serological determination of the six genotypes of hepatitis B virus (HBV) designated A, B, C, D, E, and F. Monoclonal antibodies were raised against genotype-specific epitopes in the preS2-region product, and labeled with horseradish peroxidase. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in sera was captured by immobilized antibodies against the common determinant, and evaluated for reactivity with genotype-specific monoclonal antibodies labeled with the enzyme. Serological genotyping was in complete accord with genotypes determined by S-gene sequences in a panel of 68 sera containing HBV/HBsAg of different genotypes. Of 514 sera with HBsAg from Japan, 507 (98.6%) were genotyped serologically: genotype A was identified in 24 (4.7%); B in 196 (38.1%); C in 282 (54.9%); D in 2 (0.4%); and F in 3 (0.6%). There were no sera containing HBV of genotype E. Likewise, 425 of 446 (95.3%) sera with HBsAg from Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Korea, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Thailand were classified into A (25.6%), B (24.2%), C (33.9%), and D (11.7%) genotypes; there were no sera with HBsAg of genotype E or F among them. Some sera unclassifiable by ELISA revealed mixed infection with HBV of distinct genotypes, or contained HBsAg deprived of genotype-specific epitopes by point mutations. The ELISA would be useful for large-scale surveys, because it allows serological detection of HBV genotypes without sequencing nucleotides.
Department of Medical Sciences, Toshiba General Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
S
S
Usuda
H
H
Okamoto
H
H
Iwanari
K
K
Baba
F
F
Tsuda
Y
Y
Miyakawa
M
M
Mayumi
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods*; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D005838:Genotype; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000276:immunology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D011498:Protein Precursors; C050807:presurface protein 2, hepatitis B surface antigen