%0 Journal Article %A Vanlandschoot, Peter %A Van Houtte, Freya %A Roobrouck, Annelies %A Farhoudi, Ali %A Leroux-Roels, Geert %T Hepatitis B virus surface antigen suppresses the activation of monocytes through interaction with a serum protein and a monocyte-specific receptor %D 2002 %J Journal of General Virology, %V 83 %N 6 %P 1281-1289 %@ 1465-2099 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/0022-1317-83-6-1281 %I Microbiology Society, %X During hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, high numbers of non-infectious HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) particles are present in circulation. It is shown here that recombinant HBsAg (rHBsAg) particles, which contain the S protein only, bind almost exclusively to monocytes. Attachment of rHBsAg to the THP-1 pre-monocytic cell line occurs upon 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-induced differentiation. Binding to monocytes is enhanced by a heat-labile serum protein and is inhibited by Ca2+/Mg2+, low pH and an HBsAg-specific monoclonal antibody. Furthermore, it is shown that rHBsAg suppresses lipopolysaccharide- and IL-2-induced production of cytokines. These results suggest the existence of a monocyte-specific receptor, the engagement of which by HBsAg suppresses the activity of these cells. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/0022-1317-83-6-1281