title: Primary immunisation of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-specific antibody producing B cells by lipidated peptides.
abstract: We analysed whether hepatitis C virus (HCV)-specific antibody producing B lymphocytes can be induced in vitro with HCV-derived lipopeptides containing different T helper cell epitopes. HCV-specific antibody producing B cells were detected by ELISPOT at the single cell level. HCV-derived lipopeptides, but not their corresponding unlipidated peptides, induced B lymphocytes, which produced antibodies mainly reacting with the HCV-derived lipopeptides. The number of antigen-specific B cells was dependent on the number of added autologous T helper lymphocytes during the incubation period. Thus, HCV lipopeptides are more immunogenic than unmodified peptides and can induce HCV-reactive B lymphocytes in antigen-naïve lymphocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Langhans
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Braunschweiger
authors.forename: Susann
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schweitzer
authors.forename: Tilman
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sauerbruch
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Spengler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D004337:Drug Carriers; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit / Q000276:immunology*; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D000939:Epitopes; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D008055:Lipids; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit; D014758:Viral Core Proteins