[Characteristics of HBcAg(18-27) CTL epitopes of the main epidemic HBV strains in China].
OBJECTIVE
To study the characteristics of the virology background of HLA-A2 restricted HBcAg(18-27) epitope mutations in HBV infected patients in China.


METHODS
30 HBV sequences with different genotypes from Genbank were analyzed by bioinformatics and the mismatched primers were designed for constructing a PCR-RFLP method to screen HBcAg(18-27)V/I in China. The distributions of HBcAg(18-27)V/I of 160 samples with HBV genotype B/C infection from 8 areas in China were screened and analyzed by PCR-RFLP and sequencing. The affinity of HBcAg(18-27)V/I to HLA-A0201 was analyzed through referencing the bioinformatics websites.


RESULTS
We successfully constructed a PCR-RFLP method for screening HBcAg(18-27)V/I from genotype B/C, and only 3 samples with HBcAg(18-27)V sequence were found in the 160 samples (3/160, 1.88%). The affinity of HBcAg(18-27)I to HLA-A 0201 was lower than the one of HBcAg(18-27)V through bioinformatic analysis (HLA ligand score was 123 vs 156, and the SYFPEITHI score was 22 vs 24).


CONCLUSIONS
The last amino acid of most HBcAg(18-27) sequences of epidemic HBV strains in China is isoleucine, and not valine. Therefore HBcAg(18-27) sequence background in different HBV genotypes should be thoroughly considered when using it as a reference or control in immunological research about HBV.
Ma
Shi-Wu
SW
Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
Liang
Min-Feng
MF
Yu
Yue-Cheng
YC
Wang
Zhan-Hui
ZH
Zhou
Bin
B
Hou
Jin-Lin
JL
D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D019295:Computational Biology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology
D004279:DNA, Viral; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens