Identification of a Novel Universal Potential Epitope on the Cytoplasmic Tail of H7N9 Virus Hemagglutinin

This study aimed to identify a novel antigenic epitope on H7N9 virus HA7. In total, 37 patients with H7N9 infection admitted to Shenzhen Third People's Hospital between December 2012 and March 2015 were included. A library of 108 peptides covering the full-length HA7 was synthesized except for P9 and P18. Plasma samples from 11 H7N9-infected patients were tested for reactivity with the 108 synthetic peptides by peptide microarray ELISA. Results suggested that the HA7-CT epitope is a potentially antigenic epitope that could be recognized by the plasma of patients infected with influenza A virus and may drive a strong immune response after the onset of virus infection.