HPV16-L1-specific antibody response is associated with clinical remission of high-risk HPV-positive early dysplastic lesions

• Published in: Anticancer research Vol. 34; no. 9; pp. 5127 - 5132
• Main Authors: Mehlhorn, Grit, Hautmann, Simone K, Koch, Martin C, Strehl, Johanna D, Hartmann, Arndt, Hilfrich, Ralf, Beckmann, Matthias W, Griesser, Henrik
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Greece 01.09.2014
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Antibodies, Viral - immunology; Capsid Proteins - genetics; Capsid Proteins - immunology; Case-Control Studies; Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia - immunology; Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia - pathology; Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia - therapy; Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia - virology; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Human papillomavirus 16 - immunology; Humans; Middle Aged; Oncogene Proteins, Viral - genetics; Oncogene Proteins, Viral - immunology; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Remission Induction; Treatment Outcome; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - immunology; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - pathology; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - therapy; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - virology; Young Adult; CIN; high-risk HPV-positive; HPV16-specific antibody; HPV L1 capsid protein; Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia
• ISSN: 1791-7530

The present study was aimed at clarifying if use of a rapid human papillomavirus type 16 L1-specific antibody test could be used to improve clinical management of high-risk HPV-positive low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL)/high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL). The study was nested within a prospective study of 801 patients with early dysplastic high-risk HPV-positive lesions to examine the prognostic significance of HPV-L1 protein detection. Serum samples of 87 patients were tested with a rapid HPV16-L1-specific antibody test. The results were correlated with the clinical outcome during 66 months of follow-up. A combined analysis of the 22 antibody-positive women showed that 17 were also L1 protein-positive, and 5 were L1 capsid protein-negative. An HPV-specific immune competence strongly correlates with clinical remission of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (76.6%). For L1 antigen and HPV16-L1 antibody double-positive women, the risk of progression to cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 was low (5.8%). The rapid anti-HPV16-L1 test could be a promising tool to improve risk assessment and appropriate clinical management of high-risk HPV-positive early dysplastic lesions.