Comparative immunogenicity of hepatitis B virus core and E antigens

The nucleocapsid (hepatitis B core Ag (HBcAg] of the hepatitis B virus is a particulate Ag composed of a single polypeptide (p21). Although a non-particulate form of HBcAg designated hepatitis B e Ag (HBeAg) shares significant amino acid identity, the immune responses to these Ag appear to be regulated independently. This report describes the use of recombinant HBcAg and HBeAg to examine and compare murine T cell and B cell recognition of these related Ag. The HBcAg preparation was stable at pH 7.2 and 9.6 and expressed HBc antigenicity. However, the antigenicity of the HBeAg preparation was pH dependent. At pH 9.6 the HBeAg preparation was non-particulate and expressed HBe antigenicity exclusively; however, at pH 7.2 it was particulate and expressed both HBc and HBe antigenicities. Although this "hybrid" particle most likely does not exist naturally, it is a unique research reagent to investigate the interrelationship between HBcAg and HBeAg. HBcAg was significantly more immunogenic in terms of in vivo antibody production as compared to either the non-particulate or particulate forms of HBeAg. Nevertheless, in most murine strains HBcAg and HBeAg were equivalently immunogenic and crossreactive at the level of T cell activation. The disparity between anti-HBc and anti-HBe antibody production is best explained by the observation that HBcAg can function as a T cell-independent Ag whereas HBeAg is T cell dependent even when present within the same particulate structure as HBcAg. Furthermore, HBcAg was shown to function efficiently as an immunologic carrier moiety for the DNP hapten in athymic as well as euthymic mice in contrast to conventional carrier proteins. These results have implications relevant to the human immune responses to HBcAg and HBeAg during infection, and to vaccine development.