[Test for specific antibodies to virus hepatitis delta based on synthetic peptides]

Solid-phase synthesis of three linear peptides overlapping the major immunodominant epitope of HDAg, which located within amino acid (aa) segment 53-108, and peptide aa 167-179 was carried out. The structure of the peptides corresponded to the sequences of isolates HDV type I. Their antigen reactivity was studied by indirect enzyme immunoassay with sera from patients with hepatitis D and from asymptomatic carriers of anti-delta antibodies. Two B-epitopes located within aa 53-80 and 71-93 appeared to be the most immnunoreactive. The use of these peptides in ELISA allowed anti-delta IGg antibodies to be detected with 95% confidence in serum of patients with hepatitis D and with 87% confidence in serum of asymptomatic carriers of anti-delta antibodies. Analysis of obtained data showed that these peptides can be used in new diagnostic anti-HDV tests.