Characterization of measles virus-specific antibodies in sera from patients with chronic active hepatitis

Abstract

Summary: Measles virus-specific antibodies in sera from patients with HBsAg-negative chronic active hepatitis and raised antibody titres against measles virus, have been examined by crossed immunoelectrophoresis. The immunoprecipitates were further analysed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Five measles virus-specific precipitation lines were demonstrated using measles virus-infected cells solubilized with Triton X-100. The three major precipitation lines were analysed by SDS-PAGE and contained the virus polypeptides: nucleoprotein, NP (MW ∼ 60000); haemoagglutinin, H (MW ∼ 80000) and fusion proteinF₁(MW ∼ 40000). Considerably higher amounts of antibodies against these three virus polypeptides were demonstrated in the patient sera than in sera from healthy controls. By SDS-PAGE analysis of radiolabelled immune complexes adsorbed to Sepharose-protein A, antibodies against five measles virus polypeptides: NP, H, F₁, P protein (MW ∼ 70000) and matrix protein, M (MW ∼ 37000) were demonstrated in the patient sera.