title: Hepatitis E virus ORF3 antigens derived from genotype 1 and 4 viruses are detected with varying efficiencies by an anti-HEV enzyme immunoassay.
abstract: The function of the hepatitis E virus (HEV) open reading frame 3 (ORF3) protein product remains unclear but it is able to induce a strong antibody response following HEV infection. Therefore, it has been used in some enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) for detecting anti-HEV antibody. In order to evaluate the difference in antigenicity of HEV ORF3 polypeptides derived from genotypes 1 and 4, two EIAs were developed, based on ORF3 polypeptides from genotypes 1 and 4 HEV. Serial weekly serum samples from two rhesus monkeys vaccinated with ORF3 antigens derived from the genotype 4 ORF3 protein and nine rhesus monkeys experimentally infected with genotypes 1 and 4 HEV were tested for anti-HEV using the assays. HEV ORF3 antigens derived from viruses of genotypes 1 and 4 showed different patterns of reactivity with sera obtained from monkeys immunized with ORF3 antigens or infected experimentally with HEV. The genotype 1 ORF3 polypeptide exhibited stronger reactivity with the sera from monkeys infected with genotype 1 than the genotype 4 ORF3 polypeptide. The genotype 4 ORF3 polypeptide demonstrated stronger reactivity with the sera from monkeys infected with genotype 4 than did the genotype 1 ORF3 polypeptide. The HEV ORF3 polypeptide contains genotype-specific antigens and the antigen-antibody reactions between the same genotypes were stronger than those between different genotypes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, National Institute for Control of Pharmaceutical and Biological Products, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Hongxia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Xiaoguo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Tim J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: Heqiu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Weijin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Youchun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005838:Genotype; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques / Q000379:methods; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D014773:Virology / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; C400973:ORF3 protein, Hepatitis E virus; D014764:Viral Proteins