EVALUATION OF SEROREACTIVITY TO HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS TYPE-16 VIRUS-LIKE PARTICLES IN AN INCIDENT CASE-CONTROL STUDY OF CERVICAL NEOPLASIA

An ELISA to detect serum IgG antibody response to human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 virus-like particles (VLPs) was evaluated in a case-con trol study of cervical neoplasia, nested within a prospective cohort s tudy. Subjects included 688 controls with continued normal cytology an d 152 cases with confirmed incident squamous intraepithelial lesions w ho were tested for DNA of a broad spectrum of HPV types at cohort enro llment and follow-up. Of controls, 16.6% were seropositive compared wi th 30.8% and 52.4% of cases with low- and high-grade lesions, respecti vely. Of HPV-16 DNA-negative subjects, 16.5% were seropositive. Seropo sitivity increased from 22.2% in subjects who were HPV-16 DNA-positive by polymerase chain reaction once only (enrollment or follow-up) to 8 3.3% in those who were HPV-16 DNA-positive at both time points. These data imply that serum antibody to HPV-16 VLPs is a relatively sensitiv e indicator of persisting cervical HPV-16 infection.