title: Antibodies against human papillomavirus type 16 and 18 E6 and E7 proteins in cervicovaginal washings and serum of patients with cervical neoplasia.
abstract: Serum antibodies against the E6 and E7 proteins of human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 and 18 are associated with cervical cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of local antibodies against HPV in cervicovaginal washings (CWs). In this study antibodies against the native HPV16 and HPV18 E6/E7 proteins were detectable in CWs (48%) and sera (29%) from patients with cervical cancer (n = 21) utilizing a sandwich protein enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In paired CWs and sera from patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (n = 38) and from healthy women (n = 22) no antibodies against these proteins were found. In 10 of 11 patients, the antibody response corresponded with the HPV type in the cervical smear and/or tumor tissue, which indicates the HPV type specificity of the assay. In 7 of 11 patients with antibody reactivity against HPV16 or HPV18 E6 and/or E7 proteins a higher level of antibody reactivity in the CWs than in the paired serum samples was found at similar inputs of total IgG. This suggests that the antibodies in the CWs against the investigated HPV proteins in these patients were locally produced.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Tjiong
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zumbach
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Schegget
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: van der Vange
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Out
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pawlita
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Struyk
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D002582:Cervix Mucus / Q000276:immunology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D050725:Papillomavirus E7 Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D019522:Vaginal Discharge / Q000276:immunology; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C068651:E6 protein, Human papillomavirus type 16; C052603:E6 protein, Human papillomavirus type 18; C052633:E7 protein, Human papillomavirus type 18; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D050725:Papillomavirus E7 Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; C059731:oncogene protein E7, Human papillomavirus type 16