title: Detection of Specific Antibodies to HCV-ARF/CORE+1 Protein in Cirrhotic and Non-Cirrhotic Patients with Hepatitis C: A Possible Association with Progressive Fibrosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The role of different viral proteins in the progression of the disease to cirrhosis is not completely understood. The ARFP/F protein is a newly described protein synthesized from the +1 or -2 reading frames of the core protein gene, which its function remains unknown. The purpose of this study is to detect specific antibodies to HCV-ARF/Core+1 protein in cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic patients with HCV and investigate any possible association.
  
  
  METHODS
  ARF/Core+1 recombinant proteins from HCV genotype 1a were expressed in Escherichia coli, and purified. Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, we assessed the prevalence of anti-ARF/Core+1 antibodies in 50 cirrhotic and 50 non-cirrhotic hepatitis C patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 50 cirrhotic patients were positive for anti-ARF/Core+1 antibody, while only 80% positive samples among non-cirrhotic patients were detected. The titer of anti-ARF/Core+1 antibody was also significantly higher in patients with cirrhosis than in non-cirrhotic patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared to 80% positive samples among non-cirrhotic patients all 50 cirrhotic patients were positive for anti-ARF/Core+1 antibody and titer of anti-ARF/Core+1 antibody was significantly higher in patients with cirrhosis than in non-cirrhotic. These results suggest that ARF/Core+1 protein is associated with cirrhosis. A possible causative association between ARF/Core+1 and cirrhosis as well as the mechanism of this association needs to be further investigated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran. merat@tums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ajorloo
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Taravat
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bamdad
authors.affiliation: Professor Alborzi Clinical Microbiology Research Center, Nemazee Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Tayebeh
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hashempour
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Gerash Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Amir Mohammad
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Alborzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Faculty of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Sayed Hamid Reza
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Mozhgani
authors.affiliation: Digestive Disease Research Center, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Reyhane
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Asadi
authors.affiliation: Digestive Disease Research Center, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Arghavan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haj-sheykholeslami
authors.affiliation: Liver and Pancreatobiliary Diseases Research Center, Digestive Diseases Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Shahin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Merat
mesh_terms: D018450:Disease Progression; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; C433031:hepatitis C protein F, Hepatitis C virus