Anti-HCV Nonstructural Protein 5 Monoclonal antibody, Clone CHO/2357/6H8

Hepatitis C virus has four chief genotypes HCV I, II, III and IV, whose homology of amino acids and nucliec acids is less than 80% each other. The variation rates of HCV proteins are core 8%, E1 35%, E2/NS1 53%, NS3 27%, NS4 35%, NS5 39%, respectively. According to the characters of conservation, hydrophilicity, antigenicity and conformation, a series of highly conserved T cell and B cell epitopes are identified from the HCV expressed products, which might be benificial to the prevention and treatment of hepatitis C. In genenal, B epitope is about 12 similar to 40 peptides and T epitope 7 similar to 9 peptides.

AIM To study persistence and replication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in patients, peripheral blood monanuclear cells (PBMC) cultured in vitro. METHODS Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was used to transform the hepatitis C virus from a HICV positive patient to permanent lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCL). Positive and negative HCV RNA strands of the cultured cells and growth media were detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction ( RT-PCR) each month. Core and NS5 proteins of HCV were further tested using immunohistochemical SP method and in situ RT-PCR. RESULTS HICV RNA positive strands were consistently detected the cultured cells for one year. The negative-strand RNA in LCL cells and the positive-strand RNA in supernatants were observed intermittently. Immunohistochemical results medicated expression of HCV NS3 and C proteins in LCL cytoplasm mostly. The positive signal of PCR product was dark blue and mainly localized to the LCL cytoplasm. The RT-PCR signal was eliminated by overnight RNase digestion but not DNase digestion. CONCLUSION HICV may exist and remain functional in a cultured cell line for a long period.