Seric and local antibodies against a synthetic peptide of HPV16

An ELISA method was used to detect IgG and IgA directed against a synthetic peptide derived from the E2 ORF of the human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 in sera and in cervico-vaginal secretions from 20 women without evidence of HPV infection and from 41 women with histological diagnosis of HPV infection. The proportion of IgA positive sera (63.4% in the case-group vs. 20.0% in the control-group) and secretions (48.8% in the case-group vs. 15.0% in the control-group) was significantly higher in women with HPV infection and seemed to increase with the severity of the cervical lesion. Such a difference was not found for specific IgG. Comparing, for each patient, the antibody level in the serum and in the secretions, we found that the amount of IgA was at mean 2.4 times higher in the sera than in the secretions.

Towards vaccines against human papillomavirus type-16 genital infections

Human papillomavirus type-16 (HPV-16) is strongly associated with cervical carcinoma and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. It may soon be possible to develop prophylactic vaccines designed to induce neutralizing antibodies to HPV-16 virions in genital secretions and therapeutic vaccines to induce cytotoxic T-cell responses against HPV-16 early proteins in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancers. Although significant advances have been achieved, problems remain before such vaccines can be used routinely.

Cervical cancer, human papillomavirus and vaccines

HPV-16 has been strongly implicated in the aetiology of cervical cancer and pre-malignant cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. Despite current technical difficulties it may soon be possible to treat these tumours with anti-HPV-16 vaccines. A prophylactic vaccine could, in theory, be developed to induce neutralizing antibodies to HPV-16 virions in genital secretions, and a therapeutic vaccine to elicit cytotoxic T-cell responses against established lesions.