Figure 6: Envelope protein E2 of HCV SB strain interacts with B7.2 protein in shRIGI-Raji cells and surface B7.2 is reduced in memory B cells of HCV patients.
From: Hepatitis C virus has a genetically determined lymphotropism through co-receptor B7.2
(a) Envelope protein E2 of HCV SB strain interacted with B7.2 protein in shRIGI-Raji cells. Arrows indicate bands of HCV E2. (b) B cells from healthy individuals (upper panel) and HCV patients (lower panel) were sorted by flow cytometry into CD19+CD27- naïve B cells or CD19+CD27+ memory B cells. The former expressed a low level of B7.2, whereas the latter expressed a high level of B7.2. (c) Surface B7.2 expression is reduced in human memory B cells in HCV patients. Human patient B cells were sorted into two fractions, naïve B cells (CD19+/CD27−) and memory B (CD19+/CD27+), and used for RNA isolation. (d,e) Memory B cells were infected with HCV. Human memory B cells showed higher levels of HCV RNA in clinical specimens (*P<0.05, t-test, n=3). Error bars represent s.d. Analysis of HCV RNA in B cells, T cells, monocytes and dendritic cells.
