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Characterization of linear epitope specificity of antibodies potentially contributing to spontaneous clearance of hepatitis C virus
- Source :
- PLoS ONE, PLoS ONE, Vol 16, Iss 8, p e0256816 (2021)
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- Public Library of Science, 2021.
-
Abstract
- Background Around 30% of the HCV infected patients can spontaneously clear the virus. Cumulative evidence suggests the role of neutralizing antibodies in such spontaneous resolution. Understanding the epitope specificity of such antibodies will inform the rational vaccine design as such information is limited to date. In addition to conformational epitope targeted antibodies, linear epitope specific antibodies have been identified that are broadly cross reactive against diverse HCV strains. In this study, we have characterized the potential role of three conserved linear epitopes in the spontaneous clearance of HCV. Methods We tested the reactivity of sera from chronic patients (CP) and spontaneous resolvers (SR) with linear peptides corresponding to three conserved regions of HCV envelope protein E2 spanning amino acids 412–423, 523–532 and 432–443 using ELISA. Subsequently, we characterized the dependency of HCV neutralization by the reactive serum samples on the antibodies specific for these epitopes using pseudoparticle-based neutralization assay. In ELISA most of the CP sera showed reactivity to multiple peptides while most of the SR samples were reactive to a single peptide suggesting presence of more specific antibodies in the SR sera. In most of the HCVpp neutralizing sera of particular peptide reactivity the neutralization was significantly affected by the presence of respective peptide. HCV neutralization by CP sera was affected by multiple peptides while 75% of the HCVpp neutralizing SR sera were competed by the 432 epitope. Conclusions These findings suggest that individuals who spontaneously resolve HCV infection at the acute phase, can produce antibodies specific for conserved linear epitopes, and those antibodies can potentially play a role in the spontaneous viral clearance. The epitope present in the 432–443 region of E2 was identified as the primary neutralizing epitope with potential role in spontaneous viral clearance and this epitope potentiates for the design of immunogen for prophylactic vaccine.
- Subjects :
- RNA viruses
Immunogen
Physiology
Antibody Response
Hepacivirus
medicine.disease_cause
Biochemistry
Neutralization
Epitope
Epitopes
Medical Conditions
Viral Envelope Proteins
Immune Physiology
Medicine and Health Sciences
Public and Occupational Health
Enzyme-Linked Immunoassays
Immune Response
Pathology and laboratory medicine
Vaccines
Multidisciplinary
Immune System Proteins
biology
Chemistry
Hepatitis C virus
Antibodies, Monoclonal
Medical microbiology
Vaccination and Immunization
Hepatitis C
Infectious Diseases
Viruses
Medicine
Viral Clearance
Antibody
Pathogens
Antibody Production
Research Article
Viral Hepatitis Vaccines
Infectious Disease Control
Genotype
Science
Immunology
Cross Reactions
Research and Analysis Methods
Microbiology
Virus
Antibodies
Neutralization Tests
Virology
Vaccine Development
medicine
Humans
Immunoassays
Linear epitope
Flaviviruses
Organisms
Viral pathogens
Biology and Life Sciences
Proteins
Viral Vaccines
Hepatitis C Antibodies
Antibodies, Neutralizing
Hepatitis viruses
Microbial pathogens
biology.protein
Immunologic Techniques
Preventive Medicine
Viral Transmission and Infection
Conformational epitope
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 19326203
- Volume :
- 16
- Issue :
- 8
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- PLoS ONE
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....ea92652dc46e59a94a4405217cbb1173