BRIEF REPORT - ANTIBODY-RESPONSE TO E6-PROTEIN, E7-PROTEIN, AND L1-PROTEIN OF HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS-16 IN AN ITALIAN POPULATION

The serological response to human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) E6, E 7, and L1 proteins was investigated in Italian patients with cervical cancer, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), flat cervical warts, condylomas, and in healthy individuals. Bacterially expressed beta-ga lactosidase fusion proteins were purified and used as antigen in Weste rn blot assays. The HPV16 DNA status was also determined in most of th e women. The incidence of antibody response to E6 and E7 proteins was higher in cervical cancer than in CIN patients. No variation of antibo dy titre against E6 was observed in the cervical cancer patients, whil e one patient in an advanced stage of disease displayed very high leve ls of E7 antibodies. High seroprevalence to both E6 and L1 was observe d in patients with genital condylomas, but this may be due to cross-re activity between HPV6 or 11 antibodies and the experimental HPV16 anti gens. Antibodies to L1 were detected in control women, suggesting that HPV infection is widespread. The data obtained in this study are in a greement with previous findings in other countries. (C) 1994 Wiley-Lis s, Inc.