Abstract
A small proportion of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection show no serological responses to the HCV polypeptides incorporated in commercial III generation immunoassays. To determine whether sera from these subjects contain antibodies to the highly immunoreactive second envelope polypeptide E2, which is not included in current anti-HCV assays, we studied 59 anti-HCV negative subjects who were found consistently to be HCV RNA positive by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Controls included 167 anti-HCV seropositive patients with or without serum HCV RNA and normal subjects. Antibodies to the E2 region were sought for by ELISA using the following antigens: a full length E2 protein expressed in insect cells using a baculovirus vector and extracted under denaturing conditions (dE2), and a C-terminal truncated soluble E2 (sE2) protein (a.a. 390-683), also expressed with a baculovirus vector, containing a signal peptide of rabies virus C protein which allows its secretion into the culture supernatant. Sera from only two (3.4%) of the 59 anti-HCV negative, HCV RNA positive patients recognised sE2 and none dE2. In sharp contrast, 82% of seropositive, viraemic patients recognised sE2 and 60% dE2, the difference in immunoreactivity being statistically significant (P <0.0003). A significantly lower proportion of sera from anti-HCV positive, HCV RNA negative subjects recognised either sE2 or dE2 (16% and 13%, respectively, P <0.000001). Healthy controls were consistently negative. These results indicate that antibody responses to predominantly conformational epitopes on the HCV E2 protein are common in patients with chronic HCV infection and are strictly related to the presence of circulating viral genomes. In contrast, only a minor proportion of HCV RNA positive patients, but anti-HCV seronegative by commercial immunoassays, have humoral immune responses to the HCV E2 region.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1-5 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Journal of Medical Virology |
| Volume | 51 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 1997 |
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Keywords
- antibodies
- E2
- HCV RNA
- hepatitis C virus
- PCR
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Virology
Cite this
Antibody responses to the hepatitis C virus E2 protein : Relationship to viraemia and prevalence in anti-HCV seronegative subjects. / Cerino, Antonella; Bissolati, Morena; Cividini, Agostino; Nicosia, Alfredo; Esumi, Mariko; Hayashi, Nakanobu; Mizuno, Kyosuke; Slobbe, Rob; Oudshoorn, Peter; Silini, Enrico; Asti, Margherita; Mondelli, Mario U.
In: Journal of Medical Virology, Vol. 51, No. 1, 01.1997, p. 1-5.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Antibody responses to the hepatitis C virus E2 protein
T2 - Relationship to viraemia and prevalence in anti-HCV seronegative subjects
AU - Cerino, Antonella
AU - Bissolati, Morena
AU - Cividini, Agostino
AU - Nicosia, Alfredo
AU - Esumi, Mariko
AU - Hayashi, Nakanobu
AU - Mizuno, Kyosuke
AU - Slobbe, Rob
AU - Oudshoorn, Peter
AU - Silini, Enrico
AU - Asti, Margherita
AU - Mondelli, Mario U.
PY - 1997/1
Y1 - 1997/1
N2 - A small proportion of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection show no serological responses to the HCV polypeptides incorporated in commercial III generation immunoassays. To determine whether sera from these subjects contain antibodies to the highly immunoreactive second envelope polypeptide E2, which is not included in current anti-HCV assays, we studied 59 anti-HCV negative subjects who were found consistently to be HCV RNA positive by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Controls included 167 anti-HCV seropositive patients with or without serum HCV RNA and normal subjects. Antibodies to the E2 region were sought for by ELISA using the following antigens: a full length E2 protein expressed in insect cells using a baculovirus vector and extracted under denaturing conditions (dE2), and a C-terminal truncated soluble E2 (sE2) protein (a.a. 390-683), also expressed with a baculovirus vector, containing a signal peptide of rabies virus C protein which allows its secretion into the culture supernatant. Sera from only two (3.4%) of the 59 anti-HCV negative, HCV RNA positive patients recognised sE2 and none dE2. In sharp contrast, 82% of seropositive, viraemic patients recognised sE2 and 60% dE2, the difference in immunoreactivity being statistically significant (P <0.0003). A significantly lower proportion of sera from anti-HCV positive, HCV RNA negative subjects recognised either sE2 or dE2 (16% and 13%, respectively, P <0.000001). Healthy controls were consistently negative. These results indicate that antibody responses to predominantly conformational epitopes on the HCV E2 protein are common in patients with chronic HCV infection and are strictly related to the presence of circulating viral genomes. In contrast, only a minor proportion of HCV RNA positive patients, but anti-HCV seronegative by commercial immunoassays, have humoral immune responses to the HCV E2 region.
AB - A small proportion of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection show no serological responses to the HCV polypeptides incorporated in commercial III generation immunoassays. To determine whether sera from these subjects contain antibodies to the highly immunoreactive second envelope polypeptide E2, which is not included in current anti-HCV assays, we studied 59 anti-HCV negative subjects who were found consistently to be HCV RNA positive by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Controls included 167 anti-HCV seropositive patients with or without serum HCV RNA and normal subjects. Antibodies to the E2 region were sought for by ELISA using the following antigens: a full length E2 protein expressed in insect cells using a baculovirus vector and extracted under denaturing conditions (dE2), and a C-terminal truncated soluble E2 (sE2) protein (a.a. 390-683), also expressed with a baculovirus vector, containing a signal peptide of rabies virus C protein which allows its secretion into the culture supernatant. Sera from only two (3.4%) of the 59 anti-HCV negative, HCV RNA positive patients recognised sE2 and none dE2. In sharp contrast, 82% of seropositive, viraemic patients recognised sE2 and 60% dE2, the difference in immunoreactivity being statistically significant (P <0.0003). A significantly lower proportion of sera from anti-HCV positive, HCV RNA negative subjects recognised either sE2 or dE2 (16% and 13%, respectively, P <0.000001). Healthy controls were consistently negative. These results indicate that antibody responses to predominantly conformational epitopes on the HCV E2 protein are common in patients with chronic HCV infection and are strictly related to the presence of circulating viral genomes. In contrast, only a minor proportion of HCV RNA positive patients, but anti-HCV seronegative by commercial immunoassays, have humoral immune responses to the HCV E2 region.
KW - antibodies
KW - E2
KW - HCV RNA
KW - hepatitis C virus
KW - PCR
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=19244369511&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=19244369511&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/(SICI)1096-9071(199701)51:1<1::AID-JMV1>3.0.CO;2-C
DO - 10.1002/(SICI)1096-9071(199701)51:1<1::AID-JMV1>3.0.CO;2-C
M3 - Article
C2 - 8986942
AN - SCOPUS:19244369511
VL - 51
SP - 1
EP - 5
JO - Journal of Medical Virology
JF - Journal of Medical Virology
SN - 0146-6615
IS - 1
ER -