title: Cross reactive cellular immune response to HCV genotype 1 and 4 antigens among genotype 4 exposed subjects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection is a global health burden particularly in Egypt, where HCV genotype 4a (GT-4a) predominates. The prevention and control of HCV infection will remain a challenge until the development of an effective vaccine that protects against different genotypes. Several HCV GT-1-based vaccines are in different stages of clinical trials, but antigenic differences could make protection against other genotypes problematic. In this regard, data comparing the cell-mediated immune (CMI) response to different HCV genotypes are limited. We aimed to ex vivo investigate whether GT-1-based vaccine may protect against HCV GT-4 infections. This was carried out on samples collected from genotype 4 infected/exposed subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The CMI responses of 35 subjects; infected with HCV GT-4/or who had spontaneously-resolved the infection and 10 healthy control subjects; to two sets of seven HCV overlapping 15-mer peptide pools derived from both genotypes; and covering most of the viral proteins; were evaluated. This was carried out using an interferon gamma (IFNγ) enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISpot) assay. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 17 subjects (48%) responded to at least one peptide pool derived from GT-1b/GT-4a with 13 subjects responding to peptide pools from both genotypes. A strong correlation was found in the responses to both genotypes (r = 0.82, p<0.001; 95% confidence interval = 0.562-0.933). The average IFNγ total spot forming cells (SFC)/10(6) PBMC (±SE) from the responding subjects for GT-1b and GT-4a was 216±56 and 199±55, respectively (p = 0.833). Also, there were no significant differences between those who cleared their HCV infection or who remained HCV-RNA positive (p = 0.8).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that an effective GT-1b vaccine could protect from GT-4a infection. These data could help in HCV rationale vaccine design and efficacy studies and further our understanding of HCV cross protection against different genotypes.
authors: Egyptian Company for Blood Transfusion Services (Egyblood)/VACSERA; Agouza, Giza, Egypt.
authors: Iman F
authors: IF
authors: Galal
authors: Egyptian Company for Blood Transfusion Services (Egyblood)/VACSERA; Agouza, Giza, Egypt.
authors: Zainab
authors: Z
authors: Zakaria
authors: Egyptian Company for Blood Transfusion Services (Egyblood)/VACSERA; Agouza, Giza, Egypt.
authors: Walaa R
authors: WR
authors: Allam
authors: Department of Hepatology, National Liver Institute, Menoufiya University, Menoufiya, Egypt.
authors: Mohamed A
authors: MA
authors: Mahmoud
authors: Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors: Ahmed R
authors: AR
authors: Ezzat
authors: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo.
authors: Ahmed
authors: A
authors: Osman
authors: Department of Hepatology, National Liver Institute, Menoufiya University, Menoufiya, Egypt.
authors: Imam
authors: I
authors: Waked
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America.
authors: G Thomas
authors: GT
authors: Strickland
authors: Egyptian Company for Blood Transfusion Services (Egyblood)/VACSERA; Agouza, Giza, Egypt; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia, Egypt.
authors: Sayed F
authors: SF
authors: Abdelwahab
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003429:Cross Reactions / Q000276:immunology*; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens; D010455:Peptides