title: Depletion of Langerhans cells in cervical HPV infection is associated with replication of the virus.
abstract: We studied the quantity of Langerhans cells in 36 patients with cervical human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Significantly fewer Langerhans cells (p < 0.05) were found in patients with compared to those without DNA tetraploidy. Similarly, patients positive for HPV 16/18 DNA by in situ hybridization or antipeptide IgA antibodies to HPV 18 tended to have fewer Langerhans cells than those negative for HPV 16/18 DNA or IgA antibodies. Our results suggest that depletion of Langerhans cells is associated with productive HPV 16/18 infection in the cervical epithelium.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lehtinen
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rantala
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Toivonen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Luoto
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aine
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lauslahti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ylä-Outinen
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Romppanen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Paavonen
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D018949:Antigens, CD1; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D027383:Papillomaviridae; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000473:pathology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D002577:Uterine Cervical Diseases / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015703:Antigens, CD; D018949:Antigens, CD1; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D010455:Peptides