title: Low avidity of human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 antibodies is associated with increased risk of low-risk but not high-risk HPV type prevalence.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Low avidity of antibodies against viral, bacterial and parasitic agents has been used for differential diagnosis of acute versus recent/past infections. The low-avidity antibodies may however, persist for a longer period in some individuals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We studied the association of human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 antibody avidity with seroprevalence to HPV types 6/11/18/31/33/45. Antibody avidity was analysed for 365 HPV16 seropositive pregnant Finnish and Ugandan women using a modified ELISA.Low avidity of HPV16 antibodies was found in 15% of Finnish and 26% of Ugandan women. Ugandan women with low-avidity HPV16 antibodies had an increased risk estimate for HPV6/11 (odds ratio, OR 2.9; 95%CI 1.01-8.4) seropositivity but not to high-risk HPV types 18/31/33/45.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Association of the low avidity HPV16 antibody "phenotype" with possible susceptibility to infections with other HPV types warrants investigation.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Health and Welfare, Oulu, Finland. Bazanya.Namujju@uta.fi.
authors.forename: Proscovia B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Namujju
authors.forename: Lea
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hedman
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hedman
authors.forename: Cecily
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Banura
authors.forename: Edward K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Mbidde
authors.forename: Dennison
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kizito
authors.forename: Romano N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Byaruhanga
authors.forename: Moses
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muwanga
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kirnbauer
authors.forename: Heljä-Marja
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Surcel
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lehtinen