Analysis of epitope-based vaccine candidates against the E antigen of the hepatitis B virus based on the B genotype sequence: An in silico and in vitro approach

作者：Zheng, Juzeng; Ou, Zhanfan; Lin, Xianfan; Wang, Lingling; Liu, Yang; Jin, Sisi; Wu, Jinming^*

来源：Cellular Immunology, 2018, 329: 56-65.

DOI：10.1016/j.cellimm.2018.04.015

• Bioinformatics
• Epitope
• Hepatitis B virus E antigen
• Therapeutic vaccine

Chronic hepatitis B virus infection is a worldwide health problem with no current effective strategy to achieve a cure. The Hepatitis B virus (HBV) E antigen (HBeAg) has a negative effect on the immune system and a therapeutic vaccine is a promising strategy in order to treat chronic virus infection. In this study, we analyzed and identified the MHC-I, MHC-II and B cell epitopes of the HBeAg based on a B genotype sequence of HBV using a bioinformatic approach and in vitro experiments. The computational approach provided us with four epitopes (LLWFHISCL, YLVSFGVWI, MQLFHLCLI, TVLEYLVSF) of the specific MHC-I allele HLA-A0201 that conformed to all criteria. Molecular docking and a peptide binding assay showed that epitope TVLEYLVSF had the lowest binding energy and epitope LLWFHISCL had the highest binding affinity to the HLA-A0201 molecule. An interferon.enzyme-linked immunospot assay and cytotoxicity assay revealed that epitope LLWFHISCL had the highest ability to induce and stimulate T cells. Furthermore, we determined four core peptides of MHC-II epitopes and a region of the B cell epitope. The epitopes and region identified in this research may be helpful in designing epitope-based vaccines and boosting the mechanism research of HBeAg and its effect on the immune system.

• 出版日期2018-7
• 单位温州医科大学