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. 1993 Apr;67(4):2376–2380. doi: 10.1128/jvi.67.4.2376-2380.1993

Definition of a minimal optimal cytotoxic T-cell epitope within the hepatitis B virus nucleocapsid protein.

A Bertoletti 1, F V Chisari 1, A Penna 1, S Guilhot 1, L Galati 1, G Missale 1, P Fowler 1, H J Schlicht 1, A Vitiello 1, R C Chesnut 1, et al.
PMCID: PMC240403  PMID: 7680391

Abstract

Residues 11 to 27 of the hepatitis B virus nucleocapsid antigen contain a cytotoxic T-cell epitope that is recognized by cytotoxic T cells from virtually all HLA-A2-positive patients with acute hepatitis B virus infection. Using panels of truncated and overlapping peptides, we now show that the optimal amino acid sequence recognized by cytotoxic T cells is a 10-mer (residues 18 to 27) containing the predicted peptide-binding motif for HLA-A2 and that this peptide can stimulate cytotoxic T cells able to recognize endogenously synthesized hepatitis B core antigen. Since patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection fail to mount an efficient cytotoxic T-cell response to it, this epitope might serve as the starting point for the design of synthetic peptide-based immunotherapeutic strategies to terminate persistent viral infection.

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Selected References

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