Serum levels of macrophage colony-stimulating factor-1 in cervical human papillomavirus infection and intraepithelial neoplasia

OBJECTIVE: Our goal was determine the correlation between serum colony stim ulating factor-1 levels, cervical human papillomavirus infection, and dyspl asia. STUDY DESIGN: Serum samples were obtained from control subjects from the Un ited States and from a group of Panamanian women. Members of the latter gro up fell into 3 categories: those who serve as Panamanian control subjects a nd who test negative for human papillomavirus (n = 10); those who are high risk by history and test positive for human papillomavirus types 16/18 and 30s (n = 10); and those with the same high-risk history with biopsy-proven cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (n = 8). Serum colony-stimulating factor -1 revels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data wer e analyzed with the Student-Newman-Keuls and t tests. RESULTS: Mean serum colony-stimulating factor-1 levels of patients with a p ositive test result for human papillomavirus (1166 +/- 949 pg/mL) and cervi cal intraepithelial neoplasia (1295 +/- 314 pg/ml) were higher than those o f control subjects from the United States (584 +/- 237 pg/ml) and those of Panamanian central subjects (520 +/- 229 pg/mL). Statistical analysis revea led the concentration of colony-stimulating factor in patients with positiv e test results for human papillomavirus or cervical intraepithelial neoplas ia were significantly higher than in control groups. In addition, combining patients with human papillomavirus with those who have cervical intraepith elial neoplasia results in a group that has significantly higher colony-sti mulating factor levels compared with control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Both high-grade cervical dysplasia and high-risk human papillo mavirus infection are associated with higher mean serum colony-stimulating factor levels, suggesting a possible role for colony-stimulating factor-1 i n cervical neoplasia. Further studies are needed to understand the mechanis m of colony- stimulating factor activation in human papillomavirus infectio n. This may assist in designing therapeutic approaches for the management o f this disease.