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Humoral and cellular immune responses to the GB virus C/hepatitis G virus envelope 2 protein
Author(s) -
Lazdina Una,
Hultgren Catharina,
Chen Margaret,
Fischler Björn,
Weiland Ola,
Mushahwar Isa K.,
Sällberg Matti
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/1096-9071(200011)62:3<334::aid-jmv5>3.0.co;2-6
Subject(s) - virology , gb virus c , immune system , virus , antibody , biology , antigen , immunology , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , recombinant dna , hepatitis c virus , flaviviridae , gene , in vitro , biochemistry
Immune responses to two recombinant envelope 2 (E2) proteins, representing genotypes 1 and 2 of the GB virus C, or the hepatitis G virus (GBV‐C/HGV), were studied in mice and in 48 individuals with, or without, chronic, or past GBV‐C/HGV infection. Immunised mice developed E2‐specific antibodies (mean titres, 1:1,167 to 1:9,360), recognising linear antigenic regions and proliferative and IL‐2, IL‐6 and γIFN cytokine responses regardless of the viral genotype. Individuals with past GBV‐C infection had E2 antibody titres from 1:1,500 to 1:7,500 that did not recognise the E. coli derived E2 protein or linear antigenic regions. Proliferative E2‐specific responses were detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 6/22 (27%) persons with, and in none without GBV‐C markers ( P < 0.05). Thus, E2‐specific immune responses are mainly crossreactive between different variants of GBV‐C/HGV, although proliferative responses appear to be rare. J. Med. Virol. 62:334–344, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.