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Linear epitopes of the replication-activator protein of Epstein-Barr virus recognised by specific serum IgG in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

  • Original Article
  • Epstein-Barr Virus, Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Linear Epitopes, Replication Activator Protein
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Abstract

The linear antigenic epitopes of the Epstein-Barr virus replication activator protein (ZEBRA), recognised by specific serum IgG in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), were determined. This was achieved by synthesizing the entire amino acid sequence of ZEBRA as a set of 29, 22-residue peptides with an overlap of 14 amino acids. The ZEBRA peptides were tested in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for IgG binding in sera from 37 selected NPC patients who had IgG antibodies to the native ZEBRA protein. The most immunogenic epitope was peptide 1 at the amino-terminal end with 36 of the sera reactive against it. Further analysis of peptide 1, using the multipin peptide-scanning technique, defined a 10-amino-acid sequence FTPDPYQVPF, which was strongly bound by IgG. Two other regions of ZEBRA were also identified as immunodominant IgG epitopes, namely peptide 11 (amino acids 82–103) and peptide 19/20 (amino acids 146–175) with 8–13 of the NPC sera reactive against the peptides. The number of peptides reactive with individual NPC serum varies from 1 to 6 or more and there is some correlation between a greater number of peptide (at least 4) bound and a higher (at least 1:40) titre of serum IgA to viral capsid antigen. The immunodominant ZEBRA peptide 1 could be utilised in IgG ELISA for the detection of NPC.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Research Laboratory, Institute of Advanced Studies, University of Malaya, 59100, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Hwee-Ming Cheng, Yoke-Ting Foong, Aini J. AbuSamah, Choon-Kook Sam & Umapati Prasad

  2. Microbiology and Tumour Biology Centre, Karolinska Institute, Doktorstringen 13, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden

    Joakim Dillner

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  1. Hwee-Ming Cheng
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  2. Yoke-Ting Foong
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  3. Aini J. AbuSamah
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  4. Joakim Dillner
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  5. Choon-Kook Sam
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  6. Umapati Prasad
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Cheng, HM., Foong, YT., AbuSamah, A.J. et al. Linear epitopes of the replication-activator protein of Epstein-Barr virus recognised by specific serum IgG in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Cancer Immunol Immunother 40, 251–256 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01519899

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01519899

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