Determinants of baseline seroreactivity to human papillomavirus type 16 in the Ludwig-McGill cohort study.
BACKGROUND
Immunity plays an important role in controlling human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and associated lesions. Unlike infections caused by other viruses, natural HPV infection does not always result in a protective antibody response. Therefore, HPV antibodies are also considered markers of cumulative exposure. The aim of this study was to identify determinants of HPV16 seroreactivity at enrollment among women from the Ludwig-McGill cohort, a natural history study of HPV infection and risk of cervical neoplasia.


METHODS
HPV16 serology was assessed by ELISA for L1 and L2 capsid antigens, while HPV typing and viral load measurements were performed by PCR-based methods. The associations were analyzed by unconditional logistic regression.


RESULTS
Of 2049 subjects, 425 (20.7%) were strongly seropositive for HPV16. In multivariate analysis, seroreactivity was positively correlated with age, lifetime number of sexual partners, frequency of sex, and HPV16 viral load, and negatively associated with duration of smoking.


CONCLUSIONS
HPV16 seroreactivity is determined by factors that reflect viral exposure.
Patrícia S
PS
de Araujo-Souza
Agnihotram V
AV
Ramanakumar
João M G
JM
Candeias
Patrícia
P
Thomann
Andrea
A
Trevisan
Eduardo L
EL
Franco
Luisa L
LL
Villa
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D052162:Human papillomavirus 16 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012747:Sexual Partners; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000821:virology; D019562:Viral Load / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D036022:Capsid Proteins