Immunity to hepatitis B: analysis of antibody and cellular responses in recipients of a plasma-derived vaccine using synthetic peptides mimicking S and pre-S regions.

The potential of a panel of synthetic HBsAg peptides as components of a synthetic hepatitis B vaccine was assessed. Each was used in turn as probes to analyse human immune responses to a licensed plasma-derived HBV vaccine. Both humoral and cellular responses were analysed with synthetic peptides representing residues 124-147 of the surface antigen of the virus (HBsAg) and residues 126-140 of the pre-S2 region. Antibody levels and affinities were assessed in radioimmunoassays with synthetic linear and cyclical forms of surface antigen peptides 124-137 and 139-147, with the gp30p25 polypeptide complex of HBsAg and with the linear pre-S2 peptide 126-140. Levels and affinities of antibodies to the antigens increased with time during immunization. However, antibodies binding the cyclical peptide representing amino acids 139 to 147 (C139) were present at higher levels and had higher affinities than were antibodies binding the other peptides, indicating that C139 more closely approximates a domain on the native antigen than do the other peptides. No humoral responses were measured with the pre-S2 peptide. Cellular responses were assessed by in vitro stimulation of peripheral blood lymphocytes by HBsAg and by the synthetic peptides. All vaccine recipients had demonstrable lymphocyte responsiveness to HBsAg after both second and third doses of the vaccine. Of the S and pre-S peptides used, only L124 failed to induce lymphocyte stimulation in all recipients. However, there were individual variations in both the time of initial responsiveness to peptides and in the level and time of maximal stimulation. Stimulation by native HBsAg particles, which corresponded to the appearance of anti-HBs antibody, preceded that observed using synthetic peptides. In all recipients, maximum stimulation indices with HBsAg were significantly higher than those observed with the peptides. In contrast to the absence of pre-S2 antibody, the lymphocytes from all recipients showed positive stimulation in response to the peptide representing residues 126-140 of the pre-S2 region. None of these individuals had antibodies to pre-S or an HB core peptide sequence nor did their lymphocytes respond to a synthetic peptide representing an HB core sequence.