CONIZATION FOR CERVICAL INTRAEPITHELIAL NEOPLASIA IS FOLLOWED BY DISAPPEARANCE OF HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC-ACID AND A DECLINE IN SERUM AND CERVICAL-MUCUS ANTIBODIES AGAINST HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS ANTIGENS

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to investigate whether conization for cervi cal intraepithelial neoplasia eliminates human papillomavirus deoxyrib onucleic acid and affects the levels of serum and cervical mucus antib odies against human papillomavirus antigens. STUDY DESIGN: Analysis of paired cervical brush and serum samples taken from 23 women with cerv ical intraepithelial neoplasia before and 16 to 27 months after coniza tion was performed for presence of human papillomavirus deoxyribonucle ic acid by polymerase chain reaction and for human papillomavirus anti bodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Four women had r ecurrent cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, whereas 19 women were dis ease free. Eighteen of 23 women were positive for human papillomavirus deoxyribonucleic acid before treatment. At follow-up only the 4 women with recurrent cervical intraepithelial neoplasia were positive. Seru m immunoglobulin G levels and A levels and immunoglobulin A levels in cervical mucus against most of the tested human papillomavirus antigen s had declined at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Human papillomavirus deoxyri bonucleic acid was regularly eliminated and human papillomavirus antib ody levels, especially local immunoglobulin A, declined after efficien t treatment, suggesting that conization may be effective for treating the underlying human papillomavirus infection.