K. Malcolm et al., Multiple conformational epitopes are recognized by natural and induced immunity to the E7 protein of human papilloma virus type 16 in man, INTERVIROLO, 43(3), 2000, pp. 165-173
The reactivity of sera from patients with cervical cancer with the E7 prote
in of human papilloma virus type 16 (HPV16) was estimated using a novel non
-radioactive immunoprecipitation assay and four established protein-and pep
tide-based immunoassays. Six of 14 sera from patients with cervical cancer
and 1 of 10 sera from healthy laboratory staff showed repeated reactivity w
ith E7 in at least one assay. Four of the 7 reactive sera were consistently
reactive in more than one assay, but only one was reactive in all four ass
ays. Following immunization with E7, 2 of 5 patients with cervical cancer h
ad increased E7-specific reactivity, measurable in one or more assays. No s
ingle assay was particularly sensitive for E7 reactivity, or predictive of
cervical cancer. Mapping of E7 reactivity to specific E7 peptides was unsuc
cessful, suggesting that natural or induced E7 reactivity in human serum is
commonly directed to conformational epitopes of E7, These results suggest
that each assay employed with is study measures a different aspect of E7 re
activity, and that various reactivities to E7 may manifest following HPV in
fection or immunization. This finding is of significance for monitoring of
E7 immunotherapy and for serological screening for cervical cancer. Copyrig
ht (C) 2000 S.Karger, AG. Basel.