Oral antibodies to human papillomavirus type 16 in women with cervical neoplasia

This study investigated the relationship between human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) antibodies detected in oral fluid from women with cervical neop lasia, their HPV-16 antibody seroprevalence, and their cervical HPV-16 DNA presence. Cervical HPV-16 DNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction in 43.2% (35/81) of these women. The prevalence of IgG and IgA antibodies to H PV-16 virus-like particles (VLP-16) in oral fluid and was investigated by e nzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Anti-VLP-16 IgA antibodies were detected in oral fluid from 54.3% (44/81) of women with cervical neoplasia, compared with 8% (3/36) in controls (P=0.000002). Anti-VLP-16 IgG was detected in o ral fluid from 43.2.9% (25/72) and 13.3% (4/30; P=0.029), respectively. Wom en who were HPV-16 DNA positive at their cervical lesion, displayed an oral fluid anti-VLP-16 IgA prevalence of 60.7% (17/28) and HPV-16 DNA negative women an oral fluid anti-VLP-16 IgA prevalence of 50% (20/40; P=0.38). Oral fluid anti-VLP-16 IgG prevalence in HPV-16 DNA positive women was 28.6% (8 /28) compared with 40% (16/40) in oral fluid from HPV-16 DNA negative women (P=0.3). Amongst HPV-16 DNA positive women, the anti-VLP-16 IgG seropreval ence was 75% (21/28) and IgA seroprevalence 35.7% (10/28) and for the HPV-1 6 DNA negative women these values were 60% (24/40) and 32.5% (13/40), respe ctively. Oral IgA antibody testing proved no more sensitive than serum anti body detection for the determination of HPV infection but could be useful a s a non-invasive screening method for women with cervical neoplasia and for estimating the mucosal antibody response to HPV vaccines. (C) 2001 Wiley-L iss, Inc.