Murine antibody against E2 can capture hepatitis C virus in vitro.
OBJECTIVE
To find neutralizing antibody candidates against hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.


METHODS
We constructed two eukaryotic expression vectors which contained the E1 and E2 gene of HCV, and detected their expression in mammalian cells with transient expression. BALB/c mice were given subculaneous injections of constructed vectors combined with the IL-2 gene intraepidermally and evaluated for induced humoral immune responses by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We used an antibody-virus interaction assay to analyze the interaction of the antisera and HCV viral particles in vitro.


RESULTS
Anti E1 and anti-E2 antisera were obtained from immunized mice. The serum of mice immunized with the E2 gene immunoprecipitated the HCV isolate in source serum and reacted with the isolates unrelated to the original one.


CONCLUSIONS
Anti-E2 antibody in induced mice can cross-reactively capture HCV particles, highlighting the possibility of generating broadly reactive anti-E2 antibodies.
Ma
W
W
Institute of Hepatology, Beijing University People's Hospital, Beijing 100044, China.
Feng
B
B
Tao
Q
Q
D000818:Animals; D003429:Cross Reactions / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000821:virology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C091015:glycoprotein E2, Hepatitis C virus