IDENTIFICATION OF 4 EPITOPES IN HEPATITIS-C VIRUS CORE PROTEIN

We identified four epitopes in hepatitis C virus core protein by using the algorithm of Jameson and Wolf. G15V (amino acids [aa] 31 to 45) a ppears to be the immunodominant epitope, since it was able to detect a ntibodies to the core protein in all 40 patients and in 44 of 45 recom binant immunoblot assay-confirmed positive blood donors. This epitope is associated with a low frequency of false-positive results, as found with 522 negative blood donors. A strong reactivity was also observed with the Q15V epitope (aa 7 to 21), although this was associated with low specificity. Occasional reactivity to the R15P (aa 49 to 63) and P15R (aa 99 to 113) epitopes was observed. Q15V and G15V detected anti bodies to core protein earlier than the other two epitopes.