Objective: Test the cytokines secretion by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from hepatitis C patients after stimulation with highly variable region (HVR1) synthetic peptides.
Methods: ELISA was used to test the cytokines secretion, flow cytometry to group the proliferated cells, and the antigenicity of synthetic peptide was predicted by the computer modeling.
Results: (1)There were PBMC proliferation when stimulated by HVR1 antigen synthetic peptides. (2) There was a rise of IFN-gamma, IL-4 and IL-10. But no rise of IL-2 and TNF-gamma was found. (3) The proliferated cells were mainly CD4+ lymphocytes.
Conclusion: PMBC from hepatitis C patients tend to secret Th2 cytokines after stimulation with HVR1 designed by the authors.