title: Expression and immunoreactivity of HCV/HBV epitopes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop the epitope-based vaccines to prevent Hepatitis C virus (HCV) / Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections.
  
  
  METHODS
  The HCV core epitopes C1 STNPKPQRKTKRNTNRRPQD (residuals aa2-21) and C2 VKFPGGGQIVGGVYLLPRR (residuals aa22-40), envelope epitope E GHRMAWDMMMNWSP (residuals aa315-328) and HBsAg epitope S CTTPAQGNSMFPSCCCTKPTDGNC (residuals aa124-147) were displayed in five different sites of the flock house virus capsid protein as a vector, and expressed in E. coli cells (pET-3 system). Immunoreactivity of the epitopes with anti-HCV and anti-HBV antibodies in the serum from hepatitis C and hepatitis B patients were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expressed chimeric protein carrying the HCV epitopes C1, C2, E (two times), L3C1-I2E-L1C2-L2E could react with anti-HCV antibodies. The expressed chimeric protein carrying the HBV epitopes S, I3S could react with anti-HBs antibodies. The expressed chimeric proteins carrying the HCV epitopes C1, C2, E plus HBV epitope S, L3C1-I2E-L1C2-L2E-I3S could react with anti-HCV and anti-HBs antibodies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These epitopes have highly specific and sensitive immunoreaction and are useful in the development of epitope-based vaccines.
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650118, Yunnan Province, China.
authors.forename: Xin-Yu
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yuan-Ding
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000939:Epitopes / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic