title: The seroprevalence of IgG antibodies to human papillomavirus (HPV) types HPV-16, HPV-18, and HPV-11 capsid-antigens in mothers and their children.
abstract: Human papillomavirus (HPV) types causing anogenital lesions and cancer are accepted as being sexually transmitted. The methods whereby children acquire these anogenital type HPV infections are unclear. The present study determined the prevalence of anti-HPV-16, HPV-11 and HPV-18 IgG antibodies in mothers and their children in an attempt to identify evidence of HPV transmission from mother to child. HPV virus-like particles (VLP) VLP-16, VLP-11 and VLP-18 were used in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to identify IgG antibodies in serum from 100 mothers and their 111 children. Antibodies to VLP-16, VLP-11 and VLP-18 were found in serum from 17%, 21% and 16% of mothers, respectively and seroprevalences were 9%, 11.7% and 9.9%, respectively amongst the children. Of the 111 children, 23 (20.7%) showed antibodies to one or more of the three HPV types tested. Seven of these (30.4%) HPV IgG positive children had the same antibodies to one or more HPV types as their mothers. The prevalence of HPV-11 was similar in children of seropositive compared with seronegative mothers (14% and 11%, respectively). The prevalence of HPV-16 and HPV-18 was higher in children of seropositive mothers compared with seronegative mothers (for HPV-16, 18% and 7%, respectively, P = 0.1, for HPV-18, 19% and 8%, respectively, P = 0.2). None of these differences were statistically significant indicating a lack of correlation between antibodies in mothers and children and no evidence to support vertical or horizontal mother to child transmission of HPV infection. Indications were of multiple sources of HPV infection in the children.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Dianne J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Marais
authors.forename: Candice C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Sampson
authors.forename: Margaret I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Urban
authors.forename: Freddy
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sitas
authors.forename: Anna-Lise
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Wiliamson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D052140:Human papillomavirus 11 / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D052162:Human papillomavirus 16 / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D052161:Human papillomavirus 18 / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D036022:Capsid Proteins