'Hepitopes': A Database of HLA Class I Epitopes in Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)

Chronic infection with hepatitis b virus (HBV) is a global health problem estimated to affect 240 million people worldwide. A successful prophylactic vaccine has contributed to lowering the incidence, but individuals with established infection often remain committed to life-long antiviral therapy. For these reasons, increased clinical and scientific scrutiny is being applied to develop new therapeutic approaches with an ultimate goal of achieving cure. The adaptive immune response is recognized to play a crucial role in containment and clearance of chronic viral infections. Defining the optimum natural immune responses that hinge on HLA-class I mediated epitope presentation to CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes may help to inform novel immunotherapeutic strategies. We therefore performed a systematic literature review to identify all published HLA Class I epitopes in HBV. We also collected information regarding the methods used to define the epitope, and any reported associations between an immune response to this epitope and disease outcome. The resulting database, 'Hepitopes', is available at http://www.expmedndm.ox.ac.uk/hepitopes. This database will be maintained as a live open access resource that is refined and updated over time. This database represents a unique new resource, and is an important foundation for ongoing investigations into the nature and impact of the HLA Class I mediated CD8+ T cell response to HBV infection.
This work was funded by a Wellcome Trust fellowship.