DETECTION OF ANTIBODY AGAINST NONSTRUCTURAL (NS)5 REGION OF HEPATITIS-C VIRUS POLYPROTEIN

A cDNA clone, C8-2, derived from nonstructural (NS) protein 5 region o f hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome has been isolated and was expressed i n Escherichia coli as a fusion protein with beta-galactosidase (beta-G al). The recombinant protein, beta-Gal/C8-2, was partially purified an d used for detection of anti-HCV antibody by enzyme-linked immunosorbe nt assay (ELISA). Anti-C8-2 antibody was detected in 47% of patients w ith post-transfusion non-A, non-B (NANB) acute hepatitis and in 55% of patients with NANB chronic liver diseases. Of 1491 normal blood donor s, ten (0.7%) were positive for anti-C8-2 antibody, and three of these ten samples were negative for anti-C100-3 antibody. HCV RNA was detec ted in one of these three samples. These results suggest that the reco mbinant protein containing C8-2 peptide may be useful as another nonst ructural protein epitope for diagnosis of hepatitis C and screening of blood donors.