IgG antibodies against human papillomavirus type 16 E7 proteins in cervicovaginal washing fluid from patients with cervical neoplasia

Little information is available about the cervicovaginal mucosal antibodies against human papillomavirus (HPV) proteins. In this study specific IgG an tibodies against HPV 16 E7 protein were determined in paired samples of cer vicovaginal washing fluid and serum from patients with cervical cancer (n = 22), cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) (n = 38), healthy individual s (n = 22), and serum from children (n = 41) by a radioactive immunoprecipi tation assay (RIPA). HPV 16 E7 specific IgG antibodies were found in cervic ovaginal washings (n = 8) and in sera (n = 8) of the patients with cervical cancer. About 60% of the patients with HPV 16 positive cervical cancer had HPV 16 E7 specific IgG antibodies. Titration studies showed that the IgG a ntibody reactivity in cervicovaginal washings was higher than in the paired serum samples of six patients with cervical cancer (P < 0.001). In the CIN group we found no IgG reactivity in the serum, but in five patients we fou nd a low IgG reactivity in the cervicovaginal washings. No IgG reactivity w as found in cervicovaginal washings and sera from healthy individuals and s era from children. HPV 16 E7 specific IgG antibodies seem to be locally pro duced in a number of patients with HPV 16 positive (pre)malignant cervical lesions. For more definitive evidence for the local production of these ant ibodies immunostaining should be performed to demonstrate the presence of s pecific anti-HPV 16 E7 IgG producing plasma cells in the cervical epitheliu m.