title: Antibody responses against B-cell epitopes of the hypervariable region 1 of hepatitis C virus in self-limiting and chronic human hepatitis C followed-up using consensus peptides.
abstract: A rare collection of serum samples from patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection followed up from the onset of clinical symptoms was acquired. RNA corresponding to the hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) of E2 protein of HCV isolated from nine patients was reverse-transcribed, amplified, sequenced, and HVR1 amino acid sequences were deduced. These sequences and a selection of HVR1 amino acid sequences of matching HCV genotypes from protein and translated DNA sequence databanks were used to create the HVR1 amino acid consensus. The degenerated peptides mimicking N- and C-termini of the consensus were synthesized. Most (76%) of 17 patients followed up for the period from 1 week to a minimum of 7 months from the onset of acute symptoms developed antibodies reacting with peptides representing N- and/or C- termini of HVR1. Antibody recognition of the consensus HVR1 peptides indicates that the variability of HVR1 sequence on the protein level is limited with certain conserved structure(s) being untouched. A tendency was observed for a slower development of anti-HVR1 antibody response in patients developing chronic HCV, as compared to those with self-limiting HCV infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, Stockholm, Sweden. maria.isaguliants@smi.ki.se
authors.forename: Maria G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Isaguliants
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Widell
authors.forename: Shumin M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sidorchuk
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Levi
authors.forename: Valerii D
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Smirnov
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Santantonio
authors.forename: Helmut M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Diepolder
authors.forename: Gerd R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Pape
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nordenfelt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D016384:Consensus Sequence / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000276:immunology; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; C400562:HVR1 protein, Hepatitis C virus; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D010455:Peptides; D014764:Viral Proteins