title: A peptide derived from hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein inducing cellular responses in patients with HCV with various HLA class IA alleles.
abstract: C35-44 peptide is a well known HLA-A2-restricted CTL epitope originating from hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein. It was reported that the majority of HCV positive patients had significant levels of serum IgG specific to this peptide. This study addressed whether C35-44 peptide could induce CTL activity restricted to various HLA class IA alleles or could not. This peptide demonstrated binding activity to HLA-A*2402, -A*2601, -A*3101, and -A*3303 molecules, but not to HLA-A*1101 by means of stabilization assay. This peptide also induced CTL activity restricted to each of them, except HLA-A11(+) peripheral blood mononuclear cells from HCV 1b(+) patients by means of (51)Cr-release assay. With regard to HLA-A2 subtypes, this peptide demonstrated binding activity to HLA-A*0201 and -A*0206, but not to -A*0207 molecules. Furthermore, this peptide induced CTL activity from both the patients and healthy donors with all the HLA class IA molecules mentioned above by means of interferon-gamma production assay. These results may provide new insights for the development of a novel peptide vaccine against HCV compatible with various HLA class IA types.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan.
authors.forename: Yamei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.forename: Nobukazu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Komatsu
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Komohara
authors.forename: Satoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsueda
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yutani
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishihara
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Itou
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Kyogo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shichijo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology*; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology*; D011485:Protein Binding; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D010455:Peptides; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; C069130:nucleocapsid protein, Hepatitis C virus; D007371:Interferon-gamma