Epidemiologic correlates of antibody response to human papillomavirus among women at low risk of cervical cancer.
A population at low risk for developing cervical cancer in Southern Brazil was studied to identify the main determinants of serological response to human papillomavirus (HPV). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay tests were performed in 976 women to detect serum IgG antibodies against HPV 16 L1 virus-like particles (VLPs) and HPVs 16, 18, 6 and 11 L1 VLPs as a mixture of antigens. Women with four or more sexual partners were more likely to be seropositive than women with one partner (HPV 16 serology odds ratio [OR]=3.06, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.0-4.8; HPV 6/11/16/18 serology OR=4.64, 95% CI: 3.0-7.2). HPV DNA and both serological responses were associated. Those positives to HPV 16 serology were twice as likely to have a cytological diagnosis of squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs) than seronegatives (OR=2.07; 95% CI: 1.0-4.5, and OR=1.73; 95% CI: 0.8-3.8). Seropositivity to HPV 16 and HPV 6/11/16/18 antigens seem to be better markers of past sexual activity than current HPV infection, and humoral response to HPV 16 or HPV 6/11/16/18 may not be a strong indicator of cervical lesions in populations at low risk for cervical lesions.
Nonnenmacher
B
B
Posgraduação em Clínica Médica/UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil. mcb@famed.ufrgs.br
Pintos
J
J
Bozzetti
M C
MC
Mielzinska-Lohnas
I
I
Lorincz
A T
AT
Ikuta
N
N
Schwartsmann
G
G
Villa
L L
LL
Schiller
J T
JT
Franco
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012307:Risk Factors; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral