[Detection of serum heat shock protein 70 level in patients with hepatitis C infection and its role in cytotoxicity of CTLs induced by HSP70-HCV peptide complex].
OBJECTIVE
To detect serum HSP70 in patients with hepatitis C and evaluate its role in cytotoxicity of specific CTLs induced by HSP70-HCV peptide complex.


METHODS
The serum HSP70 level in patients infected with HCV and normal individuals were detected by ELISA. The relationship between anti-HCV antibody and HSP70 was evaluated. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were activated by HSP70-HCV peptide complex and then 4 hour (51)Cr release assay were used to detect the killer activity of CTLs.


RESULTS
Detection rates of HSP70 were 82.1%(22/28) and 18.8% (9/48) in patients with anti-HCV antibody and in normal individuals, respectively. There was significant correlation between the detection rate of HSP70 and HCV infection (chi(2)=28.77, P<0.01). The level of serum HSP70 in patients infected with HCV was markedly more higher than that in normal individuals. CTLs from one patient induced by HSP70-HCV C region peptide (DLMGYIPAV) complex could lyse autologous B lymphoblastoid cell lines (BLcLs) with killer rate of 37.8%, whereas CTLs induced by peptide alone could not lyse autologous BLcLs cells.


CONCLUSIONS
HCV infection can induce over expression of HSP70. HSP70 may have the action of enhancing presentation of HCV epitope peptide and promoting clearance cells infected with HCV.
Men
Ke
K
Department of Epidemiology,Fourth Military Medical University, Xi,an 710032, China.
Wang
Xia
X
Xu
De-Zhong
DZ
Zhou
Hong-Chao
HC
Zhang
Jing-Xia
JX
D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D010455:Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology
D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D010455:Peptides