title: Detection of antibodies to the E4 or E7 proteins of human papillomaviruses (HPV) in human sera by western blot analysis: type-specific reaction of anti-HPV 16 antibodies.
abstract: To determine the cross-reactivity between early (E) proteins of different human papillomavirus (HPV) types, 346 serum samples were tested with E4 and E7 of HPV 16. Two hundred and sixteen of them were also tested with HPV 1 E4, 21 with HPV 11 E4 and E7, and 109 with HPV 18 E4 and E7. Viral fusion proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli and used as antigens in Western blot experiments. The sera were obtained from patients with HPV-associated genital lesions or cervical cancer, from renal transplant recipients and from patients hospitalized for reasons unrelated to HPV infections (the controls). In contrast to findings relating to HPV 16 E4 specific antibodies, the prevalence of anti-HPV 1 E4 antibodies was not greater in renal transplant recipients than in the controls. In each age group of the control population more sera reacted with HPV 1 E4 than with HPV 16 E4. Sera of patients with HPV-associated cervical diseases and cervical cancer reacted less frequently with HPV 11 E4 or E7 and HPV 18 E4 or E7, respectively, than with the corresponding HPV 16 proteins. Thirty of 117 HPV 16 E4 or E7 positive sera showed reactivity to the corresponding protein of either HPV 1, 11 or 18. As demonstrated by cross-absorption experiments performed with 26 of the double-reacting sera, 24 contained two populations of antibodies reacting with proteins of different HPV types whereas only two contained cross-reacting antibodies. We concluded that in the majority of sera antibodies to the HPV 16 E4 and E7 proteins are type-specific.
authors.affiliation: Forschungsschwerpunkt Angewandte Tumorvirologie, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jochmus
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Bouwes Bavinck
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gissmann
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003429:Cross Reactions / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000276:immunology*; D050725:Papillomavirus E7 Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D050725:Papillomavirus E7 Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C069119:oncogene protein E4, Human papillomavirus type 16; C059731:oncogene protein E7, Human papillomavirus type 16