Biosynthesis of hepatitis B virus surface antigen in Escherichia coli

Hepatitis B is a widespread viral disease. In the absence of cell cultures capable of propagating the virus (HBV) an efficient vaccine has been prepared from viral envelopes isolated from the plasma of chronic carriers. The major polypeptide of the envelope is one of molecular weight 25,000 which carries the surface antigen (HBsAg). Therefore, the biosynthesis of this polypeptide in Escherichia coli may offer an alternative procedure to produce HbsAg free from human proteins. Recently, the HBV genome has been cloned in E.coli. Determination of its primary structure allowed the localization of the gene (called gene S) coding for HBsAg and the synthesis of the core antigen in E.coli has been reported. We have constructed a derivative of bacteriophage lambda carrying a fusion between the beta-galactosidase gene (lacZ) and the HBsAg coding sequence (lambdalacHBs-1). Infection of E.coli with lambdalacHBs-1 leads to the biosynthesis of a polypeptide of molecular weitht 138,000 carrying antigenic determinants of HBV surface antigen.     

Molecular cloning and sequencing of a human hepatitis delta (delta) virus RNA

Human hepatitis delta (delta) virus (HDV) is a form of defective virus, which infects humans only in the presence of a co-infecting hepatitis B virus (HBV). HDV superinfection in a chronic HBV carrier often results in severe chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis, whereas acute HDV and HBV co-infection is frequently associated with fulminant hepatitis. HDV consists of a 36-nm particle, which contains an envelope with HBV surface antigen, and a nucleocapsid containing the hepatitis delta-antigen (HDAg) and an RNA genome of 1.75 kilobases (kb). Recently, the genomic RNA from an HDV serially passaged in chimpanzees has been cloned and sequenced in a study which showed that the HDV RNA is a single-stranded circular molecule with properties similar to those of viroid or virusoid. However, it is not known whether serial passages in chimpanzees had altered the properties of human HDV. Here we report the cloning and sequencing of an HDV RNA isolated directly from a patient with acute delta-hepatitis. The sequence showed considerable divergence (11%) from that of the chimpanzee-adapted HDV. Five open reading frames (ORFs) of more than 100 amino acids in both genomic and anti-genomic sense were found. The largest ORF in antigenomic sense, which can code for 214 amino acids, may correspond to the HDAg.     

Selective killing of hepatitis B envelope antigen-specific B cells by class I-restricted, exogenous antigen-specific T lymphocytes

Specific B lymphocytes can act as very efficient antigen-presenting cells. They bind antigen with high affinity via their immunoglobulin receptors, process it through the class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) pathway, and present its fragments to class II-restricted T lymphocytes. In general, exogenous antigens and noninfectious viral particles enter the class II pathway and are selectively associated with class II MHC molecules. The presentation of an exogenous antigen in association with class I molecules has been reported for only a few antigens, including the hepatitis B envelope antigen (HBenvAg). Here we demonstrate that antigen-specific B cells can efficiently deliver HBenvAg to the class I pathway, presenting its fragments to class I-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) which kill the specific B cells. This could represent a mechanism of suppression of neutralizing anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) antibody response, a phenomenon that accompanies the development of the chronic HBV-carrier state.     

吉林地区病毒性肝炎分型分析

目的 了解吉林地区病毒性肝炎的型别分布及感染状况．方法 采用ELlSA法检测．结果 男性检出39例，女性检出21例，检出HAV23例，占38％；HBV25例，占42％，NCV6例，占10％；HVD未检出，HEV4例，占7％，HGV2例，占3％．乙型肝炎检出率最高，其次为甲型肝炎、丙型肝炎、戊型肝炎、庚型肝炎．丁型肝炎检出率为0．单纯感染56例；1例甲、丙、庚三重感染，1例为甲、乙二重感染．结论 甲、乙型肝炎仍为吉林地区人群感染的主要病原．     

Solid lipid nanoparticles loading adefovir dipivoxil for antiviral therapy

Herein, solid lipid nanoparticles （SLN） were proposed as a new drug delivery system for adefovir dipivoxil （ADV）. The octadecylamine-fluorescein isothiocynate （ODA-FITC） was synthesized and used as a fluorescence maker to be incorporated into SLN to investigate the time-dependent cellular uptake of SLN by HepG2.2.15. The SLN of monostearin with ODA-FITC or ADV were prepared by solvent diffusion method in an aqueous system. About 15 wt% drug entrapment efficiency （EE） and 3 wt% drug loading （DL） could be reached in SLN loading ADV. Comparing with free ADV, the inhibitory effects of ADV loaded in SLN on hepatitis B surface antigen （HBsAg）, hepatitis B e antigen （HBeAg） and hepatitis B virus （HBV） DNA levels in vitro were significantly enhanced.     

Interaction of hepatitis B virus with tumor suppressor gene p53: its significance and biological function

The mechanism of the interaction of hepatitis B virus (HBV) with tumor suppressor p53 and its role in the hepatocar-cinogenesis have been studied by PCR-directed sequencing, gel shift assays and in situ ultraviolet cross-linking assay. The biological function of the interaction of HBV with p53 gene was investigated by co-transfection of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase ( CAT) reporter gene. p53 and HBV DNA. and quantitative PCR. Among the 16 primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC) samples. 13 were HBV-DNA positive. 10 HBxAg positive and 9 p53 protein positive. The p53 gene point mutation was found in 5 samples, one of which had a G to T substitution located at codon 249. After analyzing the HBV genome by a computer program, a p53 response element binding sequence was found in HBV genome at upstream of enhancer I. from 1047 to 1059 nucleotides. This sequence could specifically bind to p53 protein, increase p53 protein accumulation in the PHC cells and stimulate the transactivating activity of p53 and HBV replication . The results also revealed that HBxAg could combine with p53 protein to form a complex in the cells and enhance CAT expression. Immunocytochemical staining showed that p53 protein complex was located in the cytoplasm and the process of p53 entry to nuclei was. in part, blocked. From our results, we conclude that the mutation of p53 gene at codon 249 is infrequent in HBV-associated PHC. the DNA-protein binding between HBV and p53. and the protein-protein binding between HBxAg and p53 might lead to the reduction or inactivation of p53 protein, which in turn resulting in HBV-associated hepatocarcinogenesis.     

乙型肝炎母婴垂直传播(综述)

综述乙肝母婴传播的途径及其阻断方法。乙肝母婴传播主要通过胎盘、乳汁、羊水及唾液传播。目前主要阻断方法为应用乙肝免疫球蛋白、乙肝疫苗及拉米夫定等治疗     

Antibody production to the nucleocapsid and envelope of the hepatitis B virus primed by a single synthetic T cell site

The nucleocapsid (HBcAg) of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) can induce antibody responses via both a T-cell dependent and a T-cell independent pathway and is highly immunogenic during infection. We have examined the T-cell determinants of the antigen and find that HBcAg-specific helper T cells (TH) can help B cells produce antibody against envelope (HBsAg) antigens as well as HBcAg, even though these antigens are found on separate molecules. We have also been able to prime helper T cells with synthetic T-cell epitopes of HBcAg; helper cells primed with a single synthetic epitope can induce B cells to produce antibody that reacts with multiple HBsAg epitopes. One problem with the development of an HBV vaccine is that some vaccinees and patients do not respond to HBsAg directly; our results indicate that this problem can be circumvented using the response to HBcAg.     

Serum beta 2-microglobulin binds to a T-cell differentiation antigen and increases its expression

The human T-cell leukaemia and differentiation antigen HTA 1 is defined by the monoclonal antibody NA1/34 (ref. 1) and also recognized by the monoclonal antibody OKT6. Like class I products of the human major histocompatibility complex, it has a glycosylated heavy (alpha) chain of approximately 45-50,000 molecular weight (MW) in non-covalent association with beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m) (MW 11,900). A particular feature of HTA 1 is the presence in significant amounts of an additional beta 2m-like subunit, called beta t (refs 3, 4). Top facilitate biochemical studies we have prepared a high HTA 1 expressor variant (NH17) of the human thymoma line MOLT-4. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the beta t purified from this cell line was shown to be indistinguishable from that of bovine beta 2m. Further, beta t was present when the cells were grown in medium containing fetal calf serum (FCS), but absent from cells grown with human serum (HuS). We show here that addition of human and bovine beta 2m to MOLT-4 and NH17 cells grown in serum-free medium produces a significant elevation of HTA 1 antigen expression, providing evidence for a regulatory or stabilizing function for the exchange of extracellular beta 2m with a cell-surface antigen.     

乙肝病毒感染数量的一个数学模型

乙型肝炎是由乙型肝炎病毒(HBV)引起的肝病,该病毒干扰肝功能并造成病理损害.一小部分受感染者无法消灭该病毒而成为慢性感染,进而面临极高的死于肝硬化和肝癌的危险.乙型肝炎病毒通过与受感染者的血液或体液接触传播,这与人类免疫缺陷病毒(艾滋病毒)的方式相同.但是,乙型肝炎病毒的感染性比艾滋病毒高50至100倍.接种乙型肝炎疫苗是预防乙型肝炎的主要方法.如何有效防控乙肝的传染,不只是政府的事,也是每个国民应关注的问题.文章建立一个乙肝病毒传染的数学模型,并对模型进行实证分析;同时,对乙肝病毒的传染也做了一个预测.     

Human hepatitis B vaccine from recombinant yeast

The worldwide importance of human hepatitis B virus infection and the toll it takes in chronic liver disease, cirrhosis and hepatocarcinoma, make it imperative that a vaccine be developed for worldwide application. Human hepatitis B vaccines are presently prepared using hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) that is purified from the plasma of human carriers of hepatitis B virus infection. The preparation of hepatitis B vaccine from a human source is restricted by the available supply of infected human plasma and by the need to apply stringent processes that purify the antigen and render it free of infectious hepatitis B virus and other possible living agents that might be present in the plasma. Joint efforts between our laboratories and those of Drs W. Rutter and B. Hall led to the preparation of vectors carrying the DNA sequence for HBsAg and antigen expression in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here we describe the development of hepatitis B vaccine of yeast cell origin. HBsAg of subtype adw was produced in recombinant yeast cell culture, and the purified antigen in alum formulation stimulated production of antibody in mice, grivet monkeys and chimpanzees. Vaccinated chimpanzees were totally protected when challenged intravenously with either homologous or heterologous subtype adr and ayw virus of human serum source. This is the first example of a vaccine produced from recombinant cells which is effective against a human viral infection.     

Improved immunogenicity of a peptide epitope after fusion to hepatitis B core protein

Synthetic vaccines for viral diseases can use defined regions of viral proteins as immunogens: the peptide sequence of amino acids 141-160 of the VP1 protein of foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) elicits virus-neutralizing antibodies to protect guinea pigs, cattle and pigs either when coupled to a carrier protein or when administered in liposomes or in incomplete Freund's adjuvant. The immune response to these peptides is much lower than that to complete virus particles and the same sequence fused to the N terminus of beta-galactosidase did not produce a more potent immunogen than synthetic peptide alone. We report here an expression system for immunogenic epitopes linked to a carrier protein, hepatitis B core antigen, to form part of a virus-like complex which can present these epitopes to the immune system at high density. The immunogenicity of these structures approaches that of FMDV particles.     

吡咯[2,3-d]嘧啶核苷单磷酸酯的合成和抗HBV活性

以4-取代-9-(2′-脱氧-2′-β-氟-β-D-呋喃糖基)吡咯[2,3-d]嘧啶类化合物为原料,与三氯氧磷一锅法合成出具有新型结构的吡咯[2,3-d]嘧啶核苷单磷酸酯类化合物,其化学结构经核磁共振磷谱(31P NMR)、核磁共振氢谱(1 H NMR)、高分辨质谱(HRMS)分析确证;对合成的目标化合物进行了初步的体外抗乙肝病毒药理活性实验,结果显示设计合成的7个化合物对乙型肝炎病毒表面抗原(HBsAg)和乙型肝炎e抗原(HBeAg)都有一定的抑制作用,其中化合物3a,3d,3f对HBsAg和HBeAg的抑制率较高,3a的毒性较低.     

乙型肝炎病毒蛋白及COX-2在乙肝相关性肝细胞癌发展与转移中的作用机制

目的探讨乙型肝炎病毒蛋白及环氧合酶-2(COX-2)在乙肝相关性肝细胞癌发展与转移中的作用机制.方法取42例慢性乙肝患者行穿刺活检时乙型肝炎病毒ccc DNA为阳性乙肝相关性肝细胞癌组织;另取同期手术切除的11例ccc DNA为阴性的非乙型肝炎相关性肝癌组织.免疫组化法检测乙型肝炎病毒X蛋白、COX-2、CD34的表达水平,Werdner法计算微血管密度;分析上述因子与乙肝相关性肝细胞癌组织微血管生成的相关性.RT-PCR和Western blot检测人肝癌细胞系(HepG2)和稳定转染乙型肝炎病毒X蛋白(HepG2-X)细胞中COX-2mRNA和蛋白表达情况;ELISA法检测细胞上清液中PGE2表达水平和不同浓度COX-2抑制剂塞来昔布作用后PGE2水平.结果乙型肝炎病毒X蛋白阳性表达组织中COX-2阳性率明显高于乙型肝炎病毒X蛋白阴性表达组织和非乙型肝炎相关性肝癌组织(P0.01).乙型肝炎病毒X蛋白阳性表达组织中早期癌症微血管密度明显低于进展期癌症组织,乙型肝炎病毒X蛋白阴性表达组织中微血管密度明显低于阳性表达组织(P0.01);COX-2阳性表达组织中微血管密度明显高于COX-2阴性表达组织(P0.01);非乙型肝炎相关性肝癌组织中微血管密度明显低于乙型肝炎病毒X蛋白、COX-2阳性表达组织(P0.01),与乙型肝炎病毒X蛋白阴性表达组织和COX-2阴性表达组织之间差异无统计学意义(P0.05);乙型肝炎病毒X蛋白、COX-2在乙型肝炎相关性人肝细胞癌组织微血管生成呈正相关.HepG2-X细胞中COX-2 mRNA和蛋白表达水平明显高于空载体对照HepG2细胞,并且细胞培养上清液中PGE2水平明显增加;与HepG2细胞相比,塞来昔布对HepG2-X细胞分泌PGE2具有更强的抑制作用.结论乙型肝炎病毒X蛋白、COX-2在乙肝相关性肝细胞癌组织中高表达,促进了癌组织微血管生成;乙型肝炎病毒X蛋白可通过COX-2/PEG2信号通路促进了肝癌的发生和发展.     

Controlled synthesis of HBsAg in a differentiated human liver carcinoma-derived cell line.

A significant aspect of primary hepatic carcinoma in man is the high positive correlation of hepatocellular carcinoma with infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV)1. Analysis of the relationship between HBV infection and oncogenesis is difficult because natural infection with HBV is limited to man and experimental infection has been achieved only in chimpanzees and gibbons. Furthermore, because HBV has not been successfully propagated in cell culture, basic study of virus-cell interaction of the aetiological agent of one of the most widespread infections of man has been impossible. Recently, however, a cell line (PLC/PRF/5) derived from a human hepatoma biopsy was described which produces the HRV surface antigen (HBsAg) and so provides a tool for the experimental investigation of HBV in viro. We now report the derivation and characterisation of two additional cell lines primary liver carcinomas. In contrast to the PLC/PRF/5 cell line, these cell lines retain the capacity to synthesise many human plasma proteins, including both albumin and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). One of these lines also produces BHsAg. We also present evidence that HBsAg synthesis and secretion in this cell line are correlated with the growth state of the culture. This finding is in contrast to the continuous HBsAg production found in the PLC/PRF/5 cell line.     

乙肝病毒表面抗原基因植物表达载体的构建

报道了将乙型肝炎病毒（ａｄｗ亚型）表面抗原（ＨＢｓＡｇ）基因和ＨＢＡｇ及其前导序列（ＨＢｓＡｇ＋ｐｒｅＳ２）基因分别插入植物表达载体ｐＲｏＫⅡ的ＣａＭＶ３５Ｓ启动子下游,构建为重组质粒ｐＲＨＢ和ｐＲＰ,并将其分别导入农杆菌ＬＢＡ４４０４中。     

Specific interaction between the p53 cellular tumour antigen and major heat shock proteins

The protein p53 is capable of participating in neoplastic transformation and can form specific complexes with the large-T antigen of simian virus 40 (SV40). This interaction probably results in the stabilization of p53 (refs 7,8) and may contribute to SV40-mediated transformation. Several non-SV40-transformed cells also exhibit a stabilized p53 which is present in elevated levels. Recently, this stabilization was shown to coincide with the ability to precipitate a polypeptide (p68) of relative molecular mass (Mr) 68,000-70,000 by anti-p53 monoclonal antibodies. We now report that this co-precipitation indeed represents a specific complex between the two proteins; the complex sediments on a sucrose gradient as a relatively broad peak of 10-14S and can be dissociated in vitro. Furthermore, p68 is the HSP70 heat shock protein cognate, found in elevated levels in a p53-overproducing cell line. On heat-shock treatment of such overproducers, p53 also forms a complex with the related highly inducible HSP68.     

反向线性探针杂交技术检测慢性乙型肝炎病毒拉米夫定耐药研究

目的:建立起简单、快速、灵敏、准确的慢性乙型肝炎病毒拉米夫定耐药位点的反向线性探针(reverse line probe,RLP)检测方法.方法:根据HBV野生及耐药基因序列设计通用探针、3'、5'对称加有poly-C的特异性探针和5'标记生物素的扩增引物.将探针线性固定在硝酸纤维膜上,使HBV PCR扩增产物与探针进行杂交.通过优化杂交条件,建立RLP检测方法.利用该方法对重庆地区86个慢性乙肝病人进行检测,同时与直接测序结果比较.结果:半巢式PCR可对103拷贝/ml的血清样本进行有效特异扩增,新建的RLP检测方法可对PCR扩增产物在1 ng/ml以上,或血清样本中突变型DNA占野生型DNA比例为5％以上的均可有效检测,86例临床的检测灵敏度为100％,野生型和耐药型的检测准确性分别为98.09％(103/105)、100％ (43/43),与直接测序法比,RLP检测野生与耐药混合型准确性更好.结论:反向线性探针杂交检测方法检测HBV拉米夫定耐药位点方便、灵敏、准确,是HBV拉米夫定治疗有效的监控工具,该方法适合临床应用.