FOLLOW-UP OF HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS (HPV) DNA AND LOCAL ANTI-HPV ANTIBODIES IN CYTOLOGICALLY NORMAL PREGNANT-WOMEN

The high level of progesterone during pregnancy may enhance the transc ription and replication of genital human papillomaviruses (HPV) throug h the glucocorticoid/progesterone response element found in the long c ontrol region of the viral genome. In this study, cytologically and co lposcopically healthy pregnant women were subjected to a follow-up exa mination. Samples from the uterine cervix were collected during early pregnancy (n = 39), in the third trimester (n = 31), and a few weeks a fter birth (n = 30). The presence of HPV DNA was detected by polymeras e chain reaction (PCR), while local secretory anti-viral IgA antibodie s were demonstrated by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay using synthet ic peptide antigens. Follow-up examination by PCR revealed HPV DNA per sistence in 5 women. In 5 other cases, HPV positivity changed from neg ative to positive during the follow-up. There was 1 case which changed from positive to negative and 1 in which the HPV type changed during the study. Altogether, 12 of 39 women (31%) were shown to harbor HPV D NA at some time during follow-up. HPV DNA positivity increased from 18 % during early pregnancy to 27% after birth (difference not significan t). On the other hand, there was a significant rise in the level of lo cal antibodies against HPV antigens (E2, E7, and L2) between samples c ollected in early pregnancy and those collected after birth (P < 0.000 1). This may indicate the reactivation of genital HPV infections durin g late pregnancy.