Evaluation of core and NS4B synthetic peptide-based immunoassays for the detection of hepatitis C virus antibodies in clinical samples from Cameroon, Central Africa.
BACKGROUND
According to previous data, the antibodies produced during natural hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection frequently recognize amino acids 10-43 in the core protein and 1689-1740 or 1921-1940 in the non-structural 4B (NS4B) protein. The reactivity of these peptides with the corresponding antibodies has mainly been evaluated using serum samples from Western countries where HCV genotype 1 (HCV-1) is predominant, and no information is available concerning samples from sub-Saharan countries where high HCV variability has been reported. OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY: To evaluate the performance of HCV core and NS4B peptide-based immunoassays in the serodiagnosis of HCV infection in Cameroon subjects.


METHODS
Three core and four NS4B-based synthetic peptides derived from HCV genotypes 1b and 2a were designed and tested against a panel of 151 serum samples from Cameroon (40 positive for HCV-1, 32 for HCV-2, 39 HCV-4, and 40 HCV-negative).


RESULTS
The three core peptides all demonstrated strong immunoreactivity, regardless of the HCV genotype from which they were derived, with greater than 90% and 92% sensitivity and specificity. In contrast, the NS4B-derived peptides exhibited lower sensitivities (24.3-65.8% depending on the HCV genotype) but higher specificities (100% for all four peptides tested).


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings indicate that an HCV core peptide could be used for the diagnosis of chronic HCV infection. Among the NS4B peptides tested, a chimeric NS4B peptide encompassing both N- and C-terminal portions of the NS4B protein gave a much better performance than the two component N- and C-terminal peptides used individually.
Njouom
Richard
R
Service de Virologie, Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, BP 1274 Yaounde, Cameroon. njouom@pasteur-yaounde.org
Nerrienet
Eric
E
Budkowska
Agata
A
Maillard
Patrick
P
Rousset
Dominique
D
Kalinina
Olga
O
Mavromara
Penelope
P
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002163:Cameroon; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology
D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens; C080107:NS4B protein, flavivirus; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins