Identification of B cell epitopes reactive to human papillomavirus type-16L1- derived peptides

Phylogenetic Analysis of HPV16 Isolated from Women with Cervical Cancer Based on L2 Gene Partial Sequence in the Province of Dhi-Qar, Iraq

BACKGROUND: As a causative agent for cervical cancer, the human papillomavirus (HPV) is well-recognized. Being a high-risk form, HPV16 is considered and has been confirmed to be associated specifically with cancer of the cervix. AIM: HPV16’s phylogenetic tree and genetic diversity are well known worldwide, but in Iraq, documents on HPV16 genetic diversity among women with cervical cancer are lacking; therefore, the present study focused on phylogenetic analysis of HPV16 isolated cervical cancer based on L2 gene partial sequence. METHODOLOGY: The current study focused on the investigation of HPV16 in women who suffer from cervical cancer. This survey was performed on 93 adult females suffering from cervical cancer during the period from 2017 to 2020. For the molecular study, DNA was extracted and subjected to a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection and amplification of minor capsidprotein L2 gene. Nucleotide sequences of amplified capsid L2 gene were searched using the advanced simple local alignment search tool at GenBank (BLAST). RESULTS: Genetic screening on HPV16 L2 gene by conventional PCR showed that 60 (65%) of cervical cancer cases infected by HPV16 while only 5 (8%) of the healthy control group are positive for HPV16. The results of the NCBI-BLAST homology sequence showed that genetic variation appeared in four strains from five strains of HPV16. CONCLUSION: HPV16 from the main causative factors for cervical cancer with high genetic variation.

Short Disordered Epitope of CRTAM Ig-Like V Domain as a Potential Target for Blocking Antibodies

Class-I Restricted T Cell-Associated Molecule (CRTAM) is a protein that is expressed after T cell activation. The interaction of CRTAM with its ligand, nectin-like 2 (Necl2), is required for the efficient production of IL-17, IL-22, and IFNγ by murine CD4 T cells, and it plays a role in optimal CD8 T and NK cell cytotoxicity. CRTAM promotes the pro-inflammatory cytokine profile; therefore, it may take part in the immunopathology of autoimmune diseases such as diabetes type 1 or colitis. Thus, antibodies that block the interaction between CRTAM and Necl2 would be useful for controlling the production of these inflammatory cytokines. In this work, using bioinformatics predictions, we identified three short disordered epitopes (sDE1-3) that are located in the Ig-like domains of murine CRTAM and are conserved in mammalian species. We performed a structural analysis by molecular dynamics simulations of sDE1 (QHPALKSSKY, Ig-like V), sDE2 (QRNGEKSVVK, Ig-like C1), and sDE3 (CSTERSKKPPPQI, Ig-like C1). sDE1, which is located within a loop of the contact interface of the heterotypic interaction with Nectl2, undergoes an order–disorder transition. On the contrary, even though sDE2 and sDE3 are flexible and also located within loops, they do not undergo order–disorder transitions. We evaluated the immunogenicity of sDE1 and sDE3 through the expression of these epitopes in chimeric L1 virus-like particles. We confirmed that sDE1 induces polyclonal antibodies that recognize the native folding of CRTAM expressed in activated murine CD4 T cells. In contrast, sDE3 induces polyclonal antibodies that recognize the recombinant protein hCRTAM-Fc, but not the native CRTAM. Thus, in this study, an exposed disordered epitope in the Ig-like V domain of CRTAM was identified as a potential site for therapeutic antibodies.

Different types of adjuvants in prophylactic and therapeutic human papillomavirus vaccines in laboratory animals: a systematic review

Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes cervical carcinoma, which and is the third most common cancer, accounting for 275,000 deaths annually worldwide. Adjuvants have a key role in promotion of vaccine efficacy; therefore, using prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines combined with adjuvant could be of great benefit in prevention and treatment of cervical cancer. There are different types of adjuvants, including MF59^TM adjuvants, RNA-based, JY (interleukin2/chitosan), cholera toxin (CT), heat-labile enterotoxin (LT), Freund's adjuvant, alum, SA-4-1BBL, λ-carrageenan (λ-CGN), heat shock proteins (HSPs), juzen-taiho-to (JTT) and hochu-ekki-to (HET), ISCOM and ISCOMATRIX™, very small size proteoliposomes (VSSPs), granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and Toll-like receptors (TLRs). Adjuvants have various functions, especially in therapeutic vaccines, and they lead to an increase in cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), so they are important in the design of vaccines. Here, we review the currently used adjuvants and their combinations with HPV protein vaccines in order to introduce an appropriate adjuvant for HPV vaccines.

Enhancement of humoral and cell mediated immune response to HPV16 L1-derived peptides subsequent to vaccination with prophylactic bivalent HPV L1 virus-like particle vaccine in healthy females

Currently prophylactic HPV16/18 L1 virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines are employed with great success for the prevention of HPV infection. However, limited information is available regarding the immune responses against human papillomavirus (HPV) 16/18 L1 subsequent to HPV16/18 L1 VLP vaccination, primarily due to the lack of widely used assays for immune monitoring. The aim of the present study was to identify HPV16 L1-derived B and T cell epitopes for monitoring the immune responses after HPV16/18 L1 VLP vaccination in healthy females. The levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgE, IgA and IgM reactive to HPV16 L1-derived peptides were measured by multiplex bead suspension assay. Following detailed B cell epitope mapping, T cell responses specific to HPV16 L1-derived peptides were evaluated by an IFN-γ ELISPOT assay. The levels of IgG, IgM and IgA reactive to 20-mer peptides (PTPSGSMVTSDAQIFNKPYW) at positions 293-312 and 300-319 of HPV16 L1 were significantly increased in the plasma after 2, 7, and 12 months after first vaccination. Detailed epitope mapping identified the amino acid sequence (TSDAQIFNKP) at position 301-310 of HPV16 L1 as an immunogenic B cell epitope. In addition, T cell responses to an HLA-A2- and HLA-A24-restricted epitope (QIFNKPYWL) at position 305-313 of HPV16 L1 were increased following immunization, suggesting that the HPV16/18 L1-VLP vaccination as able to induce specific immune responses in T and B cells simultaneously. The identified B and T cell epitopes may be useful as a biomarker for monitoring the immune responses subsequent to HPV16/18 L1 VLP vaccination. Thus, the present study may provide novel information to improve the understanding of the immune responses to HPV16 L1.

Identification of novel Lck-derived T helper epitope long peptides applicable for HLA-A2(+) cancer patients as cancer vaccine

The present study attempted to identify T helper epitope long peptides capable of inducing cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) from Lck antigen (p56(Lck) ), the src family tyrosine kinase, which is known to be aberrantly expressed in metastatic cancers cells, in order to develop a long peptide-based cancer vaccine for HLA-A2(+) cancer patients. Based on the biding motif to the HLA-DR and HLA-A2 alleles, 94 peptides were prepared from the Lck antigen. These peptides were screened for their reactivity to immunoglobulin G (IgG) from plasma of cancer patients, followed by testing of their ability to induce both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T lymphocytes showing not only peptide-specific IFN-γ production but cytotoxicity against HLA-A2(+) cancer cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of HLA-A2(+) cancer patients. Among 94 peptides tested, the three T helper epitope long peptides and their inner CTL epitope short peptides with HLA-A2 binding motifs were frequently recognized by IgG of cancer patients, and efficiently induced both CD4(+) IFN-γ(+) and CD8(+) IFN-γ(+) T lymphocytes. Patients' PBMC stimulated with these long peptides showed cytotoxicity against HLA-A2(+) Lck(+) cancer cells in HLA-class I and HLA-class II dependent manners. These three peptides might be useful for long peptide-based vaccines for HLA-A2(+) cancer patients with Lck(+) tumor cells.

Genetic variability in L1 and L2 genes of HPV-16 and HPV-58 in Southwest China

HPV account for most of the incidence of cervical cancer. Approximately 90% of anal cancers and a smaller subset (<50%) of other cancers (oropharyngeal, penile, vaginal, vulvar) are also attributed to HPV. The L1 protein comprising HPV vaccine formulations elicits high-titre neutralizing antibodies and confers type restricted protection. The L2 protein is a promising candidate for a broadly protective HPV vaccine. In our previous study, we found the most prevalent high-risk HPV infectious serotypes were HPV-16 and HPV-58 among women of Southwest China. To explore gene polymorphisms and intratypic variations of HPV-16 and HPV-58 L1/L2 genes originating in Southwest China, HPV-16 (L1: n = 31, L2: n = 28) and HPV-58 (L1: n = 21, L2: n = 21) L1/L2 genes were sequenced and compared to others described and submitted to GenBank. Phylogenetic trees were then constructed by Neighbor-Joining and the Kimura 2-parameters methods (MEGA software), followed by an analysis of the diversity of secondary structure. Then selection pressures acting on the L1/L2 genes were estimated by PAML software. Twenty-nine single nucleotide changes were observed in HPV-16 L1 sequences with 16/29 non-synonymous mutations and 13/29 synonymous mutations (six in alpha helix and two in beta turns). Seventeen single nucleotide changes were observed in HPV-16 L2 sequences with 8/17 non-synonymous mutations (one in beta turn) and 9/17 synonymous mutations. Twenty-four single nucleotide changes were observed in HPV-58 L1 sequences with 10/24 non-synonymous mutations and 14/24 synonymous mutations (eight in alpha helix and four in beta turn). Seven single nucleotide changes were observed in HPV-58 L2 sequences with 4/7 non-synonymous mutations and 3/7 synonymous mutations. The result of selective pressure analysis showed that most of these mutations were of positive selection. This study may help understand the intrinsic geographical relatedness and biological differences of HPV-16/HPV-58 and contributes further to research on their infectivity, pathogenicity, and vaccine strategy.