Evaluation of antibodies to human papillomavirus as prognostic markers in cervical cancer patients.
OBJECTIVE
We wished to evaluate whether the presence of antibodies to HPV or to the HPV oncoproteins E6 and E7 or type of HPV DNA is related to prognosis among cervical cancer patients.


METHODS
Blood samples were drawn from 313 patients with incident, untreated cervical cancer on admission to two hospitals in Sweden. Patients were followed from enrollment in 1984-1991 until death or up to June 1999. Clinical information was obtained from a review of medical records. Survival and cause of death were ascertained from both medical records and population-based cancer registries. The correlation of survival with antibodies to HPV16, to oncoproteins E6 and E7, and to type of HPV DNA was evaluated using multivariate Cox regression analysis, including stage, age, histology, and hospital in the model.


RESULTS
Stage was the only significant prognostic factor influencing cervical cancer patient survival (OR = 3.62, 95% CI = 2.71-4.83). Age over 50 was associated with increased death rate among stage I-IIa patients (OR = 2.29, 95% CI = 1.12-4.68). Presence of antibodies to the oncoproteins E6 and E7 or to the HPV16 capsid or type of HPV DNA did not associate significantly with disease prognosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Antibodies to HPV16 capsids and to oncoproteins E6 and E7 or type of HPV DNA do not appear to be useful as indicators of cervical cancer prognosis.
Silins
Ilvars
I
Department of Medical Microbiology, MAS University Hospital, S-20502 Malmö, Sweden. Ilvars.Silins@mikrobiol.mas.lu.se
Avall-Lundqvist
Elisabeth
E
Tadesse
Amha
A
Jansen
Kathrin U
KU
Stendahl
Ulf
U
Lenner
Per
P
Zumbach
Klaus
K
Pawlita
Michael
M
Dillner
Joakim
J
Frankendal
Bo
B
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D002213:Capsid / Q000276:immunology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000276:immunology*; D050725:Papillomavirus E7 Proteins; D011379:Prognosis; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004279:DNA, Viral; C068651:E6 protein, Human papillomavirus type 16; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D050725:Papillomavirus E7 Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; C059731:oncogene protein E7, Human papillomavirus type 16