Aim: To detect serum HSP70 in patients with hepatitis C and evaluate its role in cytotoxicity of specific CTLs induced by HSP70-HCV peptide complex.
Methods: The serum HSP70 level in patients infected with HCV and normal individuals were detected by ELISA. The relationship between anti-HCV antibody and HSP70 was evaluated. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were activated by HSP70-HCV peptide complex and then 4 hour (51)Cr release assay were used to detect the killer activity of CTLs.
Results: Detection rates of HSP70 were 82.1%(22/28) and 18.8% (9/48) in patients with anti-HCV antibody and in normal individuals, respectively. There was significant correlation between the detection rate of HSP70 and HCV infection (chi(2)=28.77, P<0.01). The level of serum HSP70 in patients infected with HCV was markedly more higher than that in normal individuals. CTLs from one patient induced by HSP70-HCV C region peptide (DLMGYIPAV) complex could lyse autologous B lymphoblastoid cell lines (BLcLs) with killer rate of 37.8%, whereas CTLs induced by peptide alone could not lyse autologous BLcLs cells.
Conclusion: HCV infection can induce over expression of HSP70. HSP70 may have the action of enhancing presentation of HCV epitope peptide and promoting clearance cells infected with HCV.