title: A precipitation reaction found in patients with hepatitis C as a marker for the purification of virus-like particles.
abstract: Even after the molecular cloning of the hepatitis C virus (HCV), an HCV-specific precipitation reaction has not yet been identified. We attempted to develop a precipitation system exclusively for anti-HCV-positive sera as a first step in finding an HCV-specific antigen and HCV-associated particles. In some patients being in a final stage of different liver diseases, we found sera (179/132,761; designated 'a-CK') which specifically precipitated with anti-HCV- and HCV-RNA-positive sera (designated 'CK'). When CK-positive sera were searched for in patients with various liver diseases using standard a-CK-positive plasma, CK was detected in 420 (57.9%) of 726 anti-HCV-positive sera and in none of the 1,630 anti-HCV-negative ones. The nature of CK and a-CK has not been fully clarified yet; CK demonstrated inter-betagamma mobility, whereas a-CK showed beta-globulin mobility; CK was not detected in cryoprecipitate, but HCV RNA was present in precipitates of CK-positive plasma incubated with one that was a-CK positive. Transmission electron microscopy revealed two size ranges of particles in the precipitate of CK- and a-CK-positive plasmas, 23-38 nm and 48-65 nm. We have found a novel precipitation system which is exclusive to anti-HCV-positive sera and which specifically precipitates an HCV-RNA-containing serum fraction and particles. This system can be useful for the purification and characterization of the circulating particles. Furthermore, it may be a new approach to the nature of HCV-RNA-carrying material.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Y T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Y B
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: I S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D002498:Centrifugation; D018450:Disease Progression; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D005779:Immunodiffusion; D007122:Immunoelectrophoresis; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral