SEROLOGIC RESPONSE IN HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS-ASSOCIATED INVASIVE CERVICAL-CANCER

Human papillomavirus (HPV) transforming proteins E6 and E7 are uniform ly expressed in HPV-associated cervical cancer. Our objective was to m easure antibodies to HPV- 16 E6 and E7 proteins in cervical cancer pat ients using an assay which would detect antibodies to conformational e pitopes. Serum specimens obtained from two case-control studies of HPV s and cervical cancer were tested. The studies were performed in Cali, Colombia, South America and in 9 provinces of Spain. Cases consisted of women with invasive cervical cancer associated with HPV-16 or other HPV types and women with HPV-16-associated high-grade cervical intra- epithelial neoplasia (CIN-3). Controls for invasive cases and CIN-3 ca ses were women who had no cytologic abnormalities and who were matched for age and country of residence. Serum antibodies to HPV- 16 E6 and E7 proteins were detected by radio-immunoprecipitation of in vitro tra nslated proteins. Antibodies to the E6 and E7 protein were observed am ong 56% and 43%, respectively, of invasive cases and 1.7% and 4.1%, re spectively, of controls. Antibodies to either protein were detected in 72% of sera from invasive cases and 5.8% of sera from controls. High antibody reactivity and antibodies to both proteins were found almost exclusively in invasive cases. The frequency of antibodies to the E6 p rotein and the E7 protein among CIN-3 cases did not differ significant ly from the CIN-3 controls. Five women with HPV-18-associated invasive cervical cancer were negative for serum antibody to HPV-16 E6 and E7 proteins. Antibodies to HPV-16 E6 and E7 proteins appear to be partial ly virus-specific and disease state-specific markers of HPV-associated cervical cancer. (C) 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.