Prognostic significance of serum antibodies to human papillomavirus-16 E4 and E7 peptides in cervical cancer.
BACKGROUND
The objective of this study was to investigate the prognostic significance of serum antibodies to human papillomavirus (HPV)-16 peptides in patients with squamous cell cervical cancer.


METHODS
Pretreatment sera from 78 patients and 198 control women were tested by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique for reactivity with HPV-16 E4 (E401p) and E7 (E701p) synthetic peptides. The presence and serum level of these antibodies were correlated with tumor stage, histologic features, and prognostic parameters.


RESULTS
The median follow-up was 65 months (range, 6-97 months). Antibodies to E401p peptide were found in 5 of the 198 (3%) control subjects, 4 of the 43 (9%) patients with low tumor stage (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics [FIGO] Ia, Ib, IIa), and 7 of the 35 (20%) patients with advanced tumor stage (FIGO IIb, III, IVa). Antibodies to E701p were found in 25 (13%), 11 (26%), and 11 (31%) women, respectively. The differences between patients and control subjects were significant (P < 0.002). Seropositivity against these peptides showed no correlation with tumor stage. Antibody levels to both peptides were significantly higher in patients compared with control subjects (P < 0.05). Furthermore, antibody levels to E401p were higher in patients with advanced tumor stage versus patients with low tumor stage (P = 0.0097). Such a relation was not found for anti-E701p antibodies. In the univariate analysis, a high level of anti-E701p antibodies was associated with a shorter disease free interval (P = 0.012) and poor survival (P = 0.049). However, this variable possessed no prognostic value after adjusting for FIGO stage and tumor size.


CONCLUSIONS
The authors' findings indicate that the prognostic significance of serum antibodies to the HPV-16 E4 and E7 peptides used in this study of patients with cervical cancer is limited.
Gaarenstroom
K N
KN
Department of Gynecology, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands.
Kenter
G G
GG
Bonfrer
J M
JM
Korse
C M
CM
Gallee
M P
MP
Hart
A A
AA
Müller
M
M
Trimbos
J B
JB
Helmerhorst
T J
TJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000276:immunology*; D050725:Papillomavirus E7 Proteins; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D016019:Survival Analysis; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D050725:Papillomavirus E7 Proteins; C069119:oncogene protein E4, Human papillomavirus type 16; C059731:oncogene protein E7, Human papillomavirus type 16