title: Hepatitis C virus-derived lipopeptides differentially induce epitope-specific immune responses in vitro.
abstract: We studied the induction of T cell responses against hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related cytotoxic T cell (CTL) epitopes in lymphocytes from human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A2-positive, HCV-naive individuals. Peptide and lipopeptides corresponding to the epitope at amino acids (aa) 1073-1081 induced equivalent numbers of tetramer-positive CD8+ T cells and detectable interferon-gamma and granzyme B spot-forming cells (sfcs). Epitope aa 35-44 induction of CTLs was not achieved, despite detectable tetramer-positive CD8+ T cells. IFN-gamma sfcs could only be induced with lipopeptide aa 20-44 but not by conventional antigens, which indicates that lipopeptides may alter T cell functions, depending on the epitope.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Langhans
authors.forename: Susann
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schweitzer
authors.forename: Hans Dieter
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Nischalke
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Braunschweiger
authors.forename: Tilman
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sauerbruch
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Spengler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D043583:Nucleoside-Triphosphatase; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D000085242:Viral Proteases
chemical_list: D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D008074:Lipoproteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D014758:Viral Core 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