HUMAN-PAPILLOMAVIRUS TYPE-II (HPV-11) NEUTRALIZING ANTIBODIES IN THE SERUM AND GENITAL MUCOSAL SECRETIONS OF AFRICAN-GREEN MONKEYS IMMUNIZED WITH HPV-11 VIRUS-LIKE PARTICLES EXPRESSED IN YEAST

It has been shown previously that immunization of animals with recombi nant virus-like particles (VLPs) consisting of the viral capsid protei ns L1 or L1 plus L2 protected animals against experimental viral chall enge. However, none of these experimental models addresses the issue o f whether systemic immunization with VLPs elicits a neutralizing antib ody response in the genital mucosa. Such a response may be necessary t o protect the uterine cervix against infection with genital human papi llomavirus (HPV) types, African green monkeys systemically immunized w ith HPV-11 VLPs expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and formulated o n aluminum adjuvant elicited high-titered HPV-11 VLP-specific serum an tibody responses. Sera from these immunized monkeys neutralized HPV-11 in the athymic mouse xenograft system. Significant levels of HPV-11-n eutralizing antibodies also were observed in cervicovaginal secretions . These findings suggest that protection against HPV infection of the uterine cervix may be possible through systemic immunization with HPV VLPs.