title: Identification of the epitopes on HCV core protein recognized by HLA-A2 restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify hepatitis C virus(HCV) core protein epitopes recognized by HLA-A2 restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL).
  
  
  METHODS
  Utilizing the method of computer prediction followed by a 4h(51)Cr release assay confirmation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) obtained from two HLA-A2 positive donors who were infected with HCV could lyse autologous target cells labeled with peptide "ALAHGVRAL (core 150-158)". The rates of specific lysis of the cells from the two donors were 37.5% and 15.8%, respectively. Blocking of the CTL response with anti-CD4 mAb caused no significant decrease of the specific lysis. But blocking of CTL response with anti-CD8 mAb could abolish the lysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The peptide (core 150-158) is the candidate epitope recognized by HLAA2 restricted CTL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710033, Shaanxi Province, China. juliu@fmmu.edu.cn
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: D Z
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: X P
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: J X
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Y P
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: B Q
authors.initials: BQ
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology; D002460:Cell Line; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; C069130:nucleocapsid protein, Hepatitis C virus