CYTOTOXIC T-LYMPHOCYTE RESPONSES TO E6 AND E7 PROTEINS OF HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS TYPE-16 - RELATIONSHIP TO CERVICAL INTRAEPITHELIAL NEOPLASIA

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses to the human papillomavirus (HP V) type 16 E6 and E7 proteins were measured in 20 women with known HPV and cervical disease status, CTL assays were performed after stimulat ion with E6 or E7 fusion proteins using autologous B lymphoblastoid ce lls infected with vaccinia viruses expressing E6 or E7, CTL responses to E6 and E7 were detected in 6 (75%) of 8 and 5 (56%) of 9 HPV-16-pos itive women without cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), respecti vely, Responses to E6 or E7 were each detected in only 2 (29%) of 7 HP V-16-positive women with CIN. Responses to both antigens were found in 63% of women without CIN and 14% of those with CIN. CTL responses to E6 or E7 are more commonly detectable in HPV-16-positive women without CIN than in HPV-16-positive women with CIN, suggesting that CTL respo nse may play a role in disease protection.