title: T-cell antigenic determinants within hepatitis C virus nonstructural protein 3 and cytokine production profiles in hepatitis C.
abstract: The aim of this study was to further investigate the role of T-helper cells in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, focusing on the T-cell antigenic determinants and cytokine profiles of nonstructural 3 (NS3) protein-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of HCV patients. A total of 12 recombinant proteins of theNS3 region were purified and used to test T-cell proliferative response and antigenic determinants of HCV-seropositive patients. In addition, cytokines produced by antigen stimulated PBMCs were measured. Our data showed that PBMCs from 55.7% (34/61) of HCV patients proliferated to at least one antigen, but PBMCs of HCV seronegative patients did not. In addition, PBMCs from about 82.0% (32/39) HCV-seropositive patients produced significant amounts of cytokines (10 pg/mL). Interestingly, PBMCs from 66% of patients produced TH2-related cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-5. In mappingexperiments, the data showed multiple T-cell antigenic determinants. Our data demonstrated that NS3 antigen-stimulated PBMCs of HCV patients recognized multiple T-cell antigenic determinants and produced significant amounts of TH0 or TH2-related cytokines, which might play a critical role in the chronicity of HCV infection.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Immunology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: C-H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: P-M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: L-H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Shing-F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: P-J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: B-L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: D-S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D043583:Nucleoside-Triphosphatase; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D000085242:Viral Proteases
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D000939:Epitopes; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D015847:Interleukin-4; D015848:Interleukin-5; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; C084422:NS3 protein, hepatitis C virus; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D043583:Nucleoside-Triphosphatase; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D000085242:Viral Proteases