This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Mann, V. M. Articles by Rawls, W. E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Mann, V. M. Articles by Rawls, W. E.

Occurrence of IgA and IgG Antibodies to Select Peptides Representing Human Papillomavirus Type 16 among Cervical Cancer Cases and Controls¹

Molecular Virology and Immunology Program, Department of Pathology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada [V. M. M., W. E. R.]; Division of Epidemiology, Gorgas Memorial Laboratory, Panama City, Republic of Panama [S. L. L., M. B.]; Environmental Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892 [L. A. B.]; Institute of Molecular Virology, St. Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri 63110 [J. A. R., M. G.]; and Viral Exanthams and Herpesviruses Branch, Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia 30333 [W. C. R.]

We used an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to test sera from 186 cases of invasive cervical cancer and 172 age-matched controls for IgG and IgA antibodies to an human papillomavirus 16 E7 peptide and to peptide 245, representing an epitope in E2. Cases had significantly higher mean absorbance values than controls for both immunoglobulin isotypes to E7 and elevated mean values for IgG to peptide 245. Since absorbances were not normally distributed we analyzed cervical cancer risk for seropositive and seronegative women. Of the traditional cervical cancer risk factors, cigarette smoking, educational level, number of pregnancies, time interval since last Papanicolaou smear, and age at first intercourse influenced the distribution of seropositivity to some of the viral antigens. Adjusting for these variables, the odds ratios of cervical cancer associated with IgG to E7 was 5.28 [95% confidence (95% CI) = 2.4–11.6] and that with IgA to E7 was 2.67 (95% CI = 1.3–5.3). IgG to peptide 245 was less strongly associated, odds ratio 1.68 (95% CI = 1.2–3.3), and IgA to peptide 245 was not significantly associated with disease. These findings suggest that antibodies to E7 are markers for invasive cervical cancer. However, seropositivity correlated poorly with clinical state, survival, or the presence of human papillomavirus DNA in the cancer tissue.

¹ This study was supported by Contract NO1-CP-41026 and Grant RO1-CA-42042 from the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, and by a grant from the National Cancer Institute of Canada.

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Molecular Virology and Immunology Program, Department of Pathology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8N 3Z5.

³ Deceased Oct. 8, 1990.

Received 6/29/90. Accepted 9/17/90.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C.C.R. Ragin, F. Modugno, and S.M. Gollin The Epidemiology and Risk Factors of Head and Neck Cancer: a Focus on Human Papillomavirus Journal of Dental Research, February 1, 2007; 86(2): 104 - 114. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. C. Fausch, D. M. Da Silva, M. P. Rudolf, and W. M. Kast Human Papillomavirus Virus-Like Particles Do Not Activate Langerhans Cells: A Possible Immune Escape Mechanism Used by Human Papillomaviruses J. Immunol., September 15, 2002; 169(6): 3242 - 3249. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. J. Bontkes, T. D. de Gruijl, A. Bijl, R. H. M. Verheijen, C. J. L. M. Meijer, R. J. Scheper, P. L. Stern, J. E. Burns, N. J. Maitland, and J. M. M. Walboomers Human papillomavirus type 16 E2-specific T-helper lymphocyte responses in patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia J. Gen. Virol., September 1, 1999; 80(9): 2453 - 2459. [Abstract] [Full Text]