title: Cell-mediated immune responses to E7 peptides of human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 are dependent on the HPV type infecting the cervix whereas serological reactivity is not type-specific.
abstract: Forty-two women attending a colposcopy clinic for evaluation of abnormal cervical cytology and 13 normal controls were studied for the presence of lymphocyte proliferation (LP) cell-mediated immune (CMI) responses and serological reactivity to E7 peptides of human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16). HPV was typed by Southern blot hybridization of exfoliated cervicovaginal cell DNA. Positive LP responses (stimulation index > or = 5.0) to one or more E7 peptides were observed in 28.6% (12 of 42) of patients and 23.1% (three of 13) of controls. Of patients infected with HPV-16, -31 or -33, 63.6% (seven of 11) showed a positive LP response compared with 14.3% (two of 14) of women infected with other HPV types (P = 0.02), 17.6% (three of 17) negative for HPV (P = 0.02) and 23.1% (three of 13) of controls (HPV status unknown) (P = 0.05). C-terminal peptide 109 (amino acids 72 to 97) elicited positive LP responses in 45.4% (five of 11) of patients infected with HPV -16, -31 or -33 compared with 7.1% (one of 14) patients infected with other HPVs (P = 0.04), 5.9% (one of 17) of women negative for HPV (P = 0.02) and 7.7% (one of 13) of controls (P = 0.05). HPV-16 group-specific LP responses of borderline significance were also observed against E7 peptides 103, 105 and 108 (17-37, 37-54 and 62-80) (P = 0.07). ELISA reactivity (IgG) to E7 peptide 109 (72-97) was present in 7.7% (one of 13) of controls, 35.3% (six of 17) of HPV-negative patients, 42.9% (six of 14) of patients infected with other HPVs, and only 9.1% (one of 11) of patients infected with HPV-16, -31 or -33. CMI responses to C-terminal HPV-16 E7 peptide 109 (72-97) were thus significantly related to ongoing cervical infection with HPV-16 and closely related types, whereas serological reactivity to E7 peptides was not HPV type-specific.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Kadish
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Romney
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ledwidge
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tindle
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Fernando
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Zee
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Van Ranst
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Burk
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D050725:Papillomavirus E7 Proteins; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology*; D012016:Reference Values; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology*; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D050725:Papillomavirus E7 Proteins; C059731:oncogene protein E7, Human papillomavirus type 16