Third Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Academic Assembly, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Academic Assembly, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
Medicina (Kaunas). 2024 Aug 16;60(8):1334. doi: 10.3390/medicina60081334.
: The measurement of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is essential for managing chronic hepatitis B virus infection (CHB). HBsAg consists of three different surface envelope proteins: large, middle, and small HB surface proteins. However, in clinical practice, it is not common to evaluate each of these HB surface proteins separately. : In this study, we investigated preS1 expression using seven monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in 68 CHB patients, as well as examining their antigenicity. : Although the seven mAbs had been derived from genotype (Gt) C, they could recognize preS1 with Gts A to D. The epitopes were concentrated within the aa33-47 region of preS1, and their antigenicity was significantly reduced by an aa45F substitution. We found that preS1 expression remained consistent regardless of HBsAg levels and different Gts in CHB patients, in contrast to what was observed in SHBs. : These results suggest that the antigenic epitope is preserved among different Gts and that the expression pattern of preS1 is altered during CHB, highlighting its vital role in the HBV infection cycle. Our present results suggest preS1 is a promising therapeutic target in CHB.
乙肝表面抗原(HBsAg)的测量对于慢性乙型肝炎病毒感染(CHB)的管理至关重要。HBsAg 由三种不同的表面包膜蛋白组成:大、中、小乙肝表面蛋白。然而,在临床实践中,通常不会分别评估这些 HB 表面蛋白中的每一种。
在这项研究中,我们使用七种单克隆抗体(mAbs)在 68 名 CHB 患者中研究了前 S1 的表达,并检查了它们的抗原性。
尽管这七种 mAbs 源自基因型(Gt)C,但它们可以识别 Gts A 到 D 的前 S1。表位集中在前 S1 的 aa33-47 区域内,aa45F 取代会显著降低其抗原性。我们发现,与 SHBs 不同,CHB 患者的前 S1 表达不受 HBsAg 水平和不同 Gts 的影响,保持一致。
这些结果表明,抗原表位在不同 Gts 之间得以保留,并且前 S1 的表达模式在 CHB 期间发生改变,突出了其在 HBV 感染周期中的重要作用。我们目前的结果表明,前 S1 是 CHB 有前途的治疗靶点。