Other

The United States of America, as Represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services

Japan as Represented by Director General of the Agency of the National

Joe Chiba

Tatsuo Miyamura

Izumu Saito

Yoshiharu Matsuura

Shizuko Harada

Hepatitis C virus antigen polypeptide, production method therefor, and

A hepatitis C virus antigen polypeptide having a molecular weight of approximately 22 kilodaltons expressed from a hepatitis C virus structural gene region; a production method for a hepatitis C virus antigen polypeptide having a molecular weight of 22 kilodaltons and/or a peptide related thereto, wherein an expression vector having inserted thereinto a cDNA fragment of a hepatitis C virus structural gene region is inserted into a cultured cell line and the transfected cell line thus obtained is cultured; and a detection method for a hepatitis C virus antibody, wherein a hepatitis C virus antigen polypeptide is used as an antigen, and an antibody specific thereto is detected.

The antigenic peptide represented by the following amino acid sequence (SEQ ID NO: 1) ##STR1## and a method of the detection of anti-HCV antibodies wherein the above peptide is brought into contact with a sample under the conditions that the peptide is bound to anti-HCV antibodies present in the sample to form an immunological complex and the formation of the immunological complex is measured to confirm the existence of the anti HCV antibodies in the sample. The method is highly specific and sensitive to anti-HCV antibodies.

Antigenic peptide for detecting anti-hepatitis C virus antibodies and

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa-ken, Japan

Joe Chiba