M. Nimako et al., HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS-SPECIFIC CYTOTOXIC T-LYMPHOCYTES IN PATIENTS WITH CERVICAL INTRAEPITHELIAL NEOPLASIA GRADE III, Cancer research, 57(21), 1997, pp. 4855-4861
Human papillomaviruses (HPVs), especially types 16 and 18, are strongl
y associated with the development of cervical intraepithelial neoplasi
a (GIN) and invasive carcinoma, The HPV E6 and E7 proteins are express
ed constitutively in the majority of CIN lesions and carcinomas. There
fore, they are targets for the immune response against HPV and candida
tes for active immunotherapy, We have previously detected HPV-specific
CTLs from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells from a cervical canc
er patient following immunization with a recombinant vaccinia using in
vitro restimulation with adenovirus recombinants expressing HPV16 or
HPV18 E6/E7 fusion proteins, In this study, we used a similar protocol
to determine the prevalence of CTL responses against HPV16 and HPV18
E6/E7 in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 10 CIN Hi and 10
normal subjects, HPV-specific CTL responses were detected in 6 of 10 C
IN III subjects, These CTL lines recognized HPV16 E6/E7 proteins prese
nted by at Least three MHC class 1 HLA alleles and by HPV-transformed
CaSki cells, No HPV-specific CTLs were detected in normal subjects, Th
is study demonstrates the presence of naturally occurring HPV-specific
memory CTLs in a majority of CIN III patients and provides an approac
h for further study of their role in modulating cervical malignancy.