nassip.blogg.se

The structural HCV proteins include the core protein and transmembrane glycoproteins, E1 and E2. The HCV polyprotein precursor is co- and post-translationally processed by cellular and viral proteases to yield 11 viral proteins. The viral genome constitutes a 9.6-kb single-stranded positive-sense RNA with 5' and 3' noncoding regions and a long open reading frame encoding a polyprotein precursor of about 3,000 amino acids in length. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is classified in the Hepacivirus genus within the Flaviviridae family. The data shows significant variation in the specificity in humoral immunity in chronic HCV patients. A common feature within the studied sera was that all except two sera recognized the core protein in high titers, whereas none of the sera recognized NS2 protein and only three sera (from genotype 3) recognised NS5B. There were no major genotype specific differences in antibody responses to individual HCV proteins. Based on our Western blot analyses we found that the major immunogenic HCV antigens were the core, NS4B, NS3 and NS5A proteins which were recognized in 97%, 86%, 68% and 53% of patient sera, respectively. These sera were also analysed with INNO-LIA Score test for HCV antibodies against core, NS3, NS4AB and NS5A, and the results were similar to the ones obtained by Western blot method. The recombinant HCV core, E1, E2, NS2, NS3, NS4A, NS4B, NS5A and NS5B proteins were purified and used in Western blot analysis to determine antibody responses against individual HCV protein in 68 HCV RNA and antibody positive human sera that were obtained from patients suffering from genotype 1, 2, 3 or 4 infection.

In order to study the humoral immune responses against different HCV proteins in patients suffering from chronic HCV infection, we produced three structural (core, E1 and E2) and six nonstructural proteins (NS2, NS3, NS4A, NS4B, NS5A and NS5B) in Sf 9 insect cells by using the baculovirus expression system. The viral genome of hepatitis C virus constitutes a 9.6-kb single-stranded positive-sense RNA which encodes altogether 11 viral proteins.