@article {17387,
	title = {Detection of specific antibodies to HCV-ARF/CORE+1 protein in patients treated with pegylated interferon plus ribavirin},
	journal = {J Viral HepatJ Viral HepatJ Viral Hepat},
	volume = {19},
	number = {3},
	year = {2012},
	note = {Karamitros, TKakkanas, AKatsoulidou, ASypsa, VDalagiorgou, GMavromara, PHatzakis, AengResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov{\textquoteright}tEngland2012/02/15 06:00J Viral Hepat. 2012 Mar;19(3):182-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2893.2011.01502.x. Epub 2011 Oct 4.},
	month = {Mar},
	pages = {182-8},
	abstract = {Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause for chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. The HCV-ARF/core+1 protein is an alternative product of HCV core-encoding sequence of unknown biological function. Highly purified HCV core and ARF/core+1 recombinant proteins from HCV genotype 1a and HCV-ARF/core+1 recombinant protein from HCV genotype 3a were expressed in Escherichia coli. Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, we assessed the prevalence of anti-ARF/core+1 antibodies in 90 chronic hepatitis C patients infected with HCV genotypes 1a/1b or 3a, treated with pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN-a-2a) plus ribavirin. Samples derived from 92 healthy blood donors were used as negative controls. All HCV-RNA-positive serum samples reacted with core 1a antigen, while 15 (37.5\%) of 40 and 14 (28\%) of 50 patients infected with HCV-1a/1b and HCV-3a, respectively, were found to have anti-ARF/core+1 antibodies into their serum before treatment initiation. These antibodies were persistently present during treatment follow-up and linked to elevated levels of HCV-RNA at baseline.},
	keywords = {Adult, Aged, Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use, Drug Therapy, Combination, Escherichia coli/genetics/metabolism, Female, Hepacivirus/immunology, Hepatitis C Antibodies/*blood, Hepatitis C, Chronic/drug therapy/*immunology, Humans, Interferon-alpha/*therapeutic use, Male, Middle Aged, Polyethylene Glycols/*therapeutic use, Recombinant Proteins/biosynthesis/genetics/immunology/therapeutic use, Ribavirin/*therapeutic use, RNA, Viral/blood, Viral Core Proteins/genetics/*immunology, Young Adult},
	isbn = {1365-2893 (Electronic)1352-0504 (Linking)},
	author = {Karamitros, T. and Kakkanas, A. and Katsoulidou, A and Sypsa, V and Dalagiorgou, G. and Mavromara, P. and Hatzakis, A}
}
