Purified hepatitis C virus envelope proteins for diagnostic and therapeutic use

A composition comprising at least one of the following E1 and/or E2 peptides:

• E1-31 (SEQ ID NO 56) spanning amino acids 181 to 200 of the Core E1 V1 region,
• E1-33 (SEQ ID NO 57) spanning amino acids 193 to 212 of the E1 region,
• E1-35 (SEQ ID NO 58) spanning amino acids 205 to 22a of the E1 V2 region (epitope B),
• E1-35A (SEQ ID NO 59) spanning amino acids 208 to 227 of the E1 V2 region (epitope B),
• 1bE1 (SEQ ID NO 53) spanning amino acids 192 to 228 of E1 regions (V1, C1, and V2 regions (containing epitope B),
• E1-51 (SEQ ID NO 66) spanning amino acids 301 to 320 of the E1 region,
• E1-53 (SEQ ID NO 67) spanning amino acids 313 to 332 of the E1 C4 region (epitope A),
• E1-55 (SEQ ID NO 63) spanning amino acids 325 to 344 of the E1 region.
• Env 67 or E2-67 (SEQ ID NO 72) spanning amino acid positions 397 to 416 of the E2 region (epitope A),
• Env 69 or E2-69 (SEQ ID NO 73) spanning amino acid positions 409 to 428 of the E2 region (epitope A),
• Env 23 or E2-23 (SEQ ID NO 86) spanning positions 583 to 602 of the E2 region (epitope E),
• Env 25 or E2-25 (SEC ID NO 87) spanning positions 595 to 614 of the E2 region (epitope E),
• Env 27 or E2-27 (SEQ ID NO 88) spanning positions 607 to 626 of the E2 region (epitope E),
• Env 17B or E2-17B (SEQ ID NO 83) spanning positions 547 to 566 of the E2 region (epitope D),
• Env 13B or E2-13B (SEQ ID NO 82) spanning positions 523 to 542 of the E2 region (epitope C).

A composition comprising at least one of the following E2 conformational epitopes:

• epitope F recognized by monoclonal antibodies 15C8C1, 12D11F1, and 8G10D1H9.
• epitope G recognized by monoclonal antibody 9G3E6,
• epitope H (or C) recognized by monoclonal antibodies 10D3C4 and 4H6B2,
• epitope I recognized by monoclonal antibody 17F2C2.