ASSOCIATION OF SERUM ANTIBODIES AGAINST DEFINED EPITOPES OF HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS L1, E2, AND E7 ANTIGENS AND OF HPV DNA WITH INCIDENT CERVICAL-CANCER

In order to provide a large-scale evaluation of the association with c ervical cancer of antibodies against human papillomavirus (HPV) antige ns, sera from 233 patients with primary, untreated cervical cancer and from 157 healthy age- and sex-matched blood donors were analyzed for IgG and IgA antibodies against HPV-derived peptide antigens and agains t bovine papillomavirus. Several serological responses were strongly a ssociated with cervical cancer, notably the IgG response against the H PV 16 epitopes L1:13 (Relative risk [RR]: 5.3), E2:9 (RR: 2.9), and E7 :5 (RR: 4.3), and the IgA response against an HPV 18 E2-derived antige n (245:18, RR: 3.1). HPV DNA in corresponding cervical tumors was anal yzed by Southern blotting (SE) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 47 patients. Sixty-six percent of the patients carried HPV DNA as dete rmined by SE, 91% of patients analyzed by PCR. Neither the antibody re sponses, nor the presence of HPV DNA were significantly associated wit h the biological properties of the tumors.