STUDY OF HUMORAL IMMUNE RESPONSE FEATURES BASED ON MODELLING OF ANTIGEN DETERMINANTS OF HEPATITIS С VIRUS BY SYNTHETIC PEPTIDES AND GENETICALLY ENGINEERED POLYPEPTIDES

Abstract

Aim. Study of humoral immune response features in patients with acute hepatitis C (AHC) with various disease outcomes based on modelling of antigen determinants of hepatitis C virus (HCV) by synthetic peptides and genetically engineered polypeptides. Materials and methods. 20 patients with icteric form of AHC based on clinical-biochemical presentation and HCV RNA detection by PCR in blood sera during 12 months from the disease onset were included into the study. Antibody seroconversion study was carried out by EIA. Genetically engineered proteins and synthetic peptides were used as antigens. Results. Similarity and differences of humoral immune response against the HCV antigens used in this study depending on the disease outcome (convalescence or chronicity) were shown. Significant difference of the humoral immune response to both HCV core protein and various fragments of the immune dominant region of this protein were detected, that indicates on a link of these features of immune response with perspectives of a more or less favorable disease development. Conclusion. The regularities of seroconversion detected allow to consider anti-NS5 IgG as a prognostic marker of the disease chronicity. Such marker, as anti-NS3 IgG, is important for diagnostics, but not for disease outcome prognosis.

Keywords

• hepatitis c virus
• acute hepatitis c
• humoral immune response