title: Evaluation of cross-reactive antibody response to HVR1 in chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the presence and cross-reactive antibodies against hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients and its relationship with the progression of the disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen representative HVR1 proteins selected from a unique set of 1600 natural sequences were used to semiquantitate the cross-reactivity of HVR1 antibodies in the sera of HCV patients. Fifty-five chronic HCV patients including 23 with asymptomatic mild hepatitis, 18 with chronic hepatitis and 16 with liver cirrhosis patients were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The degree of the cross-reactivity of anti-HVR1 antibodies in 23 patients with mild asymptomatic hepatitis was 3.09 ± 2.68, which was significantly lower than in those with chronic hepatitis (5.44 ± 3.93, P < 0.05) and liver cirrhosis (7.44 ± 3.90, P < 0.01). No correlation was observed between the broadness of the cross-reactivity anti-HVR1 antibodies and patient's age, infection time, serum alanine aminotransferase activity, or serum HCV-RNA concentration. It was the breath of cross-reactivity rather than the presence of anti-HVR1 antibody in HCV sera that was associated with the progression of liver disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The broadly cross-reactive HVR1 antibodies generated in natural HCV patients can not neutralize the virus, which results in persistent infection in patients with chronic hepatitis.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China.
authors.forename: Bing-Shui
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Xiu
authors.forename: Xiao-Yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Guo-Hua
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiang-Ying
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: He-Qiu
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiao-Guo
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shi-Gan
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.forename: Cui-Xia
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Lai
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Hui-Ying
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Rao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology*; D003429:Cross Reactions / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D040081:Protein Array Analysis; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: C400562:HVR1 protein, Hepatitis C virus; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D014764:Viral Proteins