Specificity of antibodies reactive with hepatitis B surface antigen following immunization with synthetic peptides.

The amino acid sequence 139-147 from hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) has previously been shown to represent a B-cell epitope with potential as a component of a synthetic peptide vaccine against hepatitis B. In this paper, two regions of HBsAg which act as T-cell epitopes in inbred mice have been identified (residues 23-34 and residues 160-171). The ability of synthetic peptides representing these epitopes to provide help for the production of antibody against the 139-147 epitope has been assessed following their co-linear synthesis with the B-cell epitope and following co-immunization of the peptides in an uncoupled form. Both these strategies result in the induction of anti-peptide antibodies which specifically react with recombinant HBsAg. The results presented give further support to the concept that synthetic peptides representing appropriately chosen B- and T-cell epitopes from HBsAg could form the basis of a synthetic vaccine against hepatitis B.