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Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Analysis of HBV-Specific CD4 T-cell Responses and Identification of HLA-DR-Restricted CD4 T-Cell Epitopes Based on a Peptide Matrix
Published on: October 20, 2021
Evolution of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte epitopes in hepatitis B virus
Kristi M Westover1, Austin L Hughes
1Department of Biology, Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC 29733, USA.
Abstract:
In hepatitis B virus (HBV), while mutations that escape from cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) recognition have been described it has been difficult to determine how natural selection by host CTL has influenced long-term evolution of HBV. We used statistical analysis of published HBV genomic sequences to examine the role of natural selection in evolution of CTL epitopes. Based on a phylogenetic analysis, we identified 25 pairs of closely related genomes isolated from different HBV genotypes and examined pattern of nucleotide substitution in genomic regions encoding well-characterized CTL epitopes. On average, both epitope and non-epitope regions are subject to purifying selection acting at non-synonymous sites. However, certain CTL epitopes showed a pattern of nucleotide substitution suggesting repeated positive selection across the population. The results support the hypothesis that CTL-driven selection has been an important factor in long-term evolution of HBV.
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