title: Occurrence of antibodies to L1, L2, E4 and E7 gene products of human papillomavirus types 6b, 16 and 18 among cervical cancer patients and controls.
abstract: Sera from 118 women of 33 to over 90 years of age, with or without a history of cervical squamous-cell carcinoma, were examined for the presence of antibodies to HPV-6b, HPV-16 and HPV-18, L1, L2, E4, and E7 gene products by the use of bacterially derived beta-Gal fusion proteins and Western-blot analysis. Among the cervical cancer patients, 29/46 (63.0%) were positive for antibodies to E4 and/or E7 of HPV-16 and/or E7 of HPV-18. In contrast, only 2 of 31 (6.5%) non-genital cancer patients and 4 of 41 (9.8%) healthy individuals were antibody-positive for HPV-16 E4 or E7, while antibodies to the homologous proteins of HPV-18 could not be detected. Prevalence rates of antibodies to the HPV-16/18 late proteins were 25/46 (54.3%) in the cervical carcinoma group, 13/31 (41.9%) among women with non-genital cancer types, and 18/41 (43.9%) among normal, healthy individuals. Antibodies to HPV-6b late gene products ranged between 6.5% and 12.2% in the different patient groups. Antibodies to HPV-6b E4 and E7 were detected only once. By studying an additional control group of 207 women with a different age distribution, age-dependence of antibodies to HPV gene products could be ruled out. Whereas antibodies to late proteins may indicate that, regardless of clinical stage, HPV infections are wide-spread among the female population, the striking difference between the prevalence rates of antibodies to early proteins of HPV-16 and HPV-18 among cervical cancer patients and controls (p less than 0.001) supports the idea of the involvement of these virus types in carcinogenesis of the cervix.
authors.affiliation: University Center of Hygiene and Human Genetics, Dept. of Medical Microbiology, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Köchel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monazahian
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sievert
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Höhne
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thomssen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Teichmann
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Arendt
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thomssen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000382:microbiology*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D012016:Reference Values; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins