Identification of humoral antigenic determinants in the hepatitis C virus NS3 protein.

Hwang, L H; Yang, P M; Lai, M Y; Chiang, B L; Kao, J H; Wang, J T; Lee, S Y; Chian, H M et al. · J Infect Dis · 1996

case_control · Level III

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Abstract

Immunoblot analysis on serum samples from 90 patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection revealed four putative immunogenic regions within the NS3 protein of the virus: E (around aa 1250/ 1251), A (within aa 1250-1334), A/B (around aa 1323 and 1334), and B/C (around aa 1407 and 1412). Among them, region E was most immunodominant, and region A was recognized much less frequently by patients with cirrhosis than by those with chronic hepatitis (10% vs. 46%, chi 2 = 12.05, P < .01). The results suggest that region A might be a potential prognostic marker to differentiate chronic hepatitis from cirrhosis.

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