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Published on: July 16, 2012
Immunoglobulin with High-Titer In Vitro Cross-Neutralizing Hepatitis C Virus Antibodies Passively Protects
Jens Bukh1, Ronald E Engle2, Kristina Faulk2
1Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Research Centre, Hvidovre Hospital, and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA jbukh@sund.ku.dk.
Abstract:
The importance of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) in protection against hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains controversial. We infused a chimpanzee with H06 immunoglobulin from a genotype 1a HCV-infected patient and challenged with genotype strains efficiently neutralized by H06 in vitro. Genotype 1a NAbs afforded no protection against genotype 4a or 5a. Protection against homologous 1a lasted 18 weeks, but infection emerged when NAb titers waned. However, 6a infection was prevented. The differential in vivo neutralization patterns have implications for HCV vaccine development.
