Analysis of the antigenic epitopes of hepatitis B surface antigen involved in the induction of a protective antibody response.

Vaccination with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) has shown that antibody directed against the common 'a' determinant of this antigen is protective against infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV). In this study the antigenic epitopes of the 'a' determinant have been analysed by competitive inhibition assays and by binding studies to synthetic peptides using a panel of monoclonal antibodies prepared against HBsAg, all of which are shown to recognise the common group determinant. One murine monoclonal antibody used in this study, RFHBs1, has been shown previously to block infectivity of HBV in susceptible chimpanzees ((1983) J. Med. Virol. 16, 89-95). This antibody bound to a cyclical synthetic peptide analogue of amino acids 124 to 137 of the major HBsAg polypeptide.