Abstract
Antibodies to the hepatitis C virus (HCV) core of various immunoglobulin classes were determined by enzyme immunoassays with three synthetic peptides, CP14 (amino acids 5-40 of the core protein), CP10 (5-23), and CP9 (39-74). In 135 patients with chronic type C liver disease, anti-CP14, anti-CP10, and anti-CP9 of IgG class were detected in 99%, 94%, 82%, respectively; those of IgM class in 86%, 69%, and 39%; and those of IgA class in 56%, 40%, and 4%. Thus anti-CP14 was more prevalent than anti-CP10 or anti-CP9 in every immunoglobulin class. The prevalence of IgM anti-CP14 was much higher (P < 0.001) in patients (116/135 or 86%) than in asymptomatic carriers of HCV (13/39 or 33%). In seven patients with acute hepatitis C, IgM anti-CP14 continued to decrease in two in whom hepatitis resolved, but increased in five in whom hepatitis once resolved and then exacerbated. IgM anti-CP14 was followed in 30 patients with chronic hepatitis C during 24 weeks while they received recombinant interferon alpha-2a. IgM anti-CP14 decreased remarkably within 8 weeks in all of them. Thereafter, it continued to decrease in nine patients who responded to interferon and lost HCV RNA from circulation, but started to increase in five non-responders who continued to have high titers of HCV RNA. In the remaining 16 patients in whom HCV RNA decreased once and then increased, IgM anti-CP14 continued to decrease till 20 weeks and then increased.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Acute Disease
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Antigens, Viral / immunology*
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Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / blood
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Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / immunology
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Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / microbiology
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Carrier State / blood
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Carrier State / immunology
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Carrier State / microbiology
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Epitopes / immunology
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Female
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Hepacivirus / immunology*
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Hepatitis Antibodies / blood*
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Hepatitis Antibodies / immunology
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Hepatitis C / blood*
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Hepatitis C / immunology
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Hepatitis C / therapy
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Hepatitis C Antibodies
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Hepatitis C Antigens
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Hepatitis, Chronic / blood
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Hepatitis, Chronic / immunology
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Hepatitis, Chronic / microbiology
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Hepatitis, Chronic / therapy
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Humans
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Immunoglobulin A / blood
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Immunoglobulin A / immunology
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Immunoglobulin G / blood
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Immunoglobulin G / immunology
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Immunoglobulin M / blood*
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Immunoglobulin M / immunology
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Immunologic Factors / therapeutic use
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Interferon alpha-2
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Interferon-alpha / therapeutic use
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Liver Cirrhosis / blood
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Liver Cirrhosis / immunology
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Liver Cirrhosis / microbiology
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Liver Neoplasms / blood
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Liver Neoplasms / immunology
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Liver Neoplasms / microbiology
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Male
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Monitoring, Immunologic
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Peptide Fragments / chemical synthesis
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Peptide Fragments / immunology
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Recombinant Proteins
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Treatment Outcome
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Viral Core Proteins / immunology*
Substances
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Antigens, Viral
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Epitopes
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Hepatitis Antibodies
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Hepatitis C Antibodies
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Hepatitis C Antigens
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Immunoglobulin A
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Immunoglobulin G
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Immunoglobulin M
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Immunologic Factors
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Interferon alpha-2
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Interferon-alpha
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Peptide Fragments
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Recombinant Proteins
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Viral Core Proteins
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nucleocapsid protein, Hepatitis C virus