Hepatitis C virus and hepatitis B virus bind to heparin: purification of largely IgG-free virions from infected plasma by heparin chromatography

Abstract

Binding to heparin of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) from chronic carriers was investigated. Eighty per cent of HCV RNA from an agammaglobulinaemic patient (IgG-free virus) was retained on immobilized heparin and eluted with ⩾0·4 M NaCl, in contrast to ∼20 % from immunocompetent chronic carriers (with ⩽8 % IgG-free virus). Increased binding to heparin of the HCV fraction that was not retained by a protein G column suggested that antibodies complexed to the virions partially inhibited the interaction. A higher proportion (15–80 %) of HBV from chronic carriers bound to heparin and eluted with ⩾0·4 M NaCl. After washing of the heparin columns with 0·3 M NaCl,