HLA B44-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses to the peptides of HCV nucleoprotein residues 81-100 in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Human leukocyte antigen B44-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) recognize an epitope in hepatitis C virus (HCV) nucleoprotein residues 81-100. CTLs that recognize two wild-type peptides 81-100 of HCV genotypes 1b/II and 2a/III were generated from peripheral blood lymphocytes of each of three patients studied. Although CTLs that recognize a wild-type peptide 81-100 of HCV genotypes 1a/I and 2b/IV were not generated from any patient, CTLs that recognize peptide 81-100 of a rare HCV isolate of type 1a/I were generated from two patients. The results suggest that HLA B44-restricted CTLs recognize most, if not all, HCV isolates of types 1b/II and 2a/III and rare variants of type 1a/I and that the wild-type HCV isolates of genotypes 1a/I and 2b/IV may be less immunogenic for HLA B44-restricted CTLs.