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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, November 2008, p. 3746-3751, Vol. 46, No. 11
0095-1137/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.00612-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Assessment of Specific Antibodies to F Protein in Serum Samples from Chinese Hepatitis C Patients Treated with Interferon plus Ribavarin{triangledown}

De-Yong Gao,1 Xin-Xin Zhang,1* Gang Hou,1 Gen-Di Jin,1 Qiang Deng,2 Xiao-Fei Kong,1 Dong-Hua Zhang,1 Yun Ling,1 De-Min Yu,1 Qi-Ming Gong,1 Qin Zhan,1 Bi-Lian Yao,1 and Zhi-Meng Lu1

Department of Infectious Disease, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China,1 Shanghai Pasteur Institute, Shanghai, China2

Received 31 March 2008/ Returned for modification 26 May 2008/ Accepted 22 September 2008

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) alternate reading frame protein or F protein of the HCV 1b genotype is a double-frameshift product of the HCV core protein. In order to assess the presence of antibodies specific for F protein and their clinical relevance in sera from HCV patients, we produced recombinant F protein and core protein of the HCV 1b genotype in Escherichia coli. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was developed using purified recombinant HCV core, F protein, and a 99-residue synthetic F peptide (F99). The seroprevalences of anticore, anti-F protein, and anti-F99 synthetic peptide were 95%, 68%, and 36%, respectively, in 168 HCV patients. The prevalence of anti-F antibodies did not correlate with viral load, genotype, or alanine aminotransferase level. Interferon combination therapy induced a decline in the level of anti-F antibodies in 55 responders (P < 0.01). Thirteen responders (24%) lost their anti-F recombinant protein antibodies, and 17 (31%) lost their anti-F synthetic peptide antibodies, whereas no decrease was observed for the 17 nonresponders. These changes were significant between responders and nonresponders (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, no change was found in the anticore antibody titer of the 72 treated patients. The percentage of anti-F-protein-negative patients (15/15 [100%]) who achieved a sustained virological response (SVR) was higher than that of the anti-F-positive patients (70%) (P < 0.05). Based on these findings, HCV F protein elicits a specific antibody response other than the anticore protein response. Our data also suggest that the presence and level of anti-F antibody responses might be influenced by the treatment (interferon plus ribavirin) and associated with an SVR in Chinese hepatitis C patients.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Infectious Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin Er Road, Lu-Wan District, Shanghai 200025, China. Phone: 86-21-64370045, ext. 360409. Fax: 86-21-64668720. E-mail: zhangx{at}shsmu.edu.cn

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 1 October 2008.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, November 2008, p. 3746-3751, Vol. 46, No. 11
0095-1137/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.00612-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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