HLA B44-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes recognizing an epitope on hepatitis C virus nucleocapsid protein.

Abstract

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes have been reported to be involved in the immune clearance of virus-infected cells and in the pathogenesis of viral infection. We studied the cytotoxic T lymphocyte response to the putative nucleocapsid protein of hepatitis C virus in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes specific for hepatitis C virus nucleocapsid protein were generated from peripheral blood lymphocytes by means of repeated stimulation with a synthetic hepatitis C virus nucleocapsid protein peptide. The cytotoxic T lymphocytes were CD8 positive and recognized an epitope in hepatitis C virus nucleocapsid protein residues 81 to 100 in association with a human leukocyte antigen class I molecule, B44. The peptide-induced cytotoxic T lymphocytes recognized target cells synthesizing hepatitis C virus nucleocapsid protein endogenously, though less efficiently than peptide-pulsed target cells. The human leukocyte antigen B44-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte response was observed in three of five patients with chronic hepatitis C and a human leukocyte antigen B44 molecule but in neither of two hepatitis C virus-negative healthy individuals with human leukocyte antigen B44 molecules. The results demonstrate the presence of hepatitis C virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of patients with chronic hepatitis C and provide a strategy to study the role of cytotoxic T lymphocytes in the viral clearance and the pathogenesis of hepatitis C virus infection.

• Authors: H Kita, T Moriyama, T Kaneko, I Harase, M Nomura, H Miura, I Nakamura, Y Yazaki, M Imawari
• Journal: Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) (Hepatology) Vol. 18 Issue 5 Pg. 1039-44 (Nov 1993) ISSN: 0270-9139 [Print] United States
• PMID: 7693568 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antigens, Viral
• Epitopes
• HLA-B Antigens
• HLA-B44 Antigen
• Viral Core Proteins
• nucleocapsid protein, Hepatitis C virus

Topics

• Antigens, Viral (immunology)
• Chronic Disease
• Cytotoxicity, Immunologic
• Epitopes (immunology)
• HLA-B Antigens (physiology)
• HLA-B44 Antigen
• Hepacivirus (immunology)
• Hepatitis C (immunology)
• Humans
• T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic (immunology)
• Viral Core Proteins (immunology)