JCM Figure table search 04
Home Help [Feedback] [For Subscribers] [Archive] [Search] [Contents]
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Meschede, W.
Right arrow Articles by Pawlita, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Meschede, W.
Right arrow Articles by Pawlita, M.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, February 1998, p. 475-480, Vol. 36, No. 2
0095-1137/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Antibodies against Early Proteins of Human Papillomaviruses as Diagnostic Markers for Invasive Cervical Cancer

Wolfgang Meschede,1 Klaus Zumbach,1 Joris Braspenning,1 Martin Scheffner,1 Luis Benitez-Bribiesca,2 Jeff Luande,3 Lutz Gissmann,1 and Michael Pawlita1,*

Angewandte Tumorvirologie, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany1; Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Hospital de Oncología, Unidad de Investigacion, C.P. 06741 Mexico City, Mexico2; and Tanzania Tumor Center, Ocean Road Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania3

Received 2 July 1997/Returned for modification 17 September 1997/Accepted 5 November 1997

Cervical cancer is the most prevalent tumor in developing countries and the second most frequent cancer among females worldwide. Specific human papillomaviruses (HPVs) and, most notably, HPV types 16 and 18 are recognized as being causally associated with this malignancy. Antibodies against early HPV proteins E6 and E7 have been found more often in patients with tumors than in controls. Existing peptide enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for the detection of anti-E6 and anti-E7 antibodies in human sera have low levels of sensitivity and specificity and thus are not suitable for use as diagnostic tools. Based on highly purified recombinant native proteins, we developed four sandwich ELISAs for the detection of antibodies against HPV type 16 and 18 E6 and E7 proteins. We demonstrate their sensitivities and high degrees of specificity for cervical cancer. Among a total of 501 serum specimens from unselected patients with invasive cervical cancer, 52.9% reacted positively in at least one of the four assays. In contrast, among 244 serum specimens from control subjects without cervical cancer, only 2 reactive serum specimens (0.8%) were found. For 19 of 19 antibody-positive patients, the HPV type indicated by seroreactivity was identical to the HPV DNA type found in the tumor, which also indicates a high degree of specificity for antibody detection with respect to HPV type. In a direct comparison of 72 serum specimens from patients with cervical cancer, 56% of the specimens reacted in at least one of the four protein ELISAs, whereas 40% reacted in at least one of seven peptide ELISAs covering the four antigens. These assays could be of value for the detection of invasive cervical cancer in settings in which cytology-based early tumor screening is not available, for the clinical management of patients diagnosed with cervical cancer, and for the immunological monitoring of E6 and E7 vaccination trials.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Angewandte Tumorvirologie, Abteilung 0615, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Im Neuenheimer Feld 242, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany. Phone: (49) 6221-424645. Fax: (49) 6221-424932. E-mail: M.Pawlita{at}dkfz-heidelberg.de.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, February 1998, p. 475-480, Vol. 36, No. 2
0095-1137/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:



Home Help [Feedback] [For Subscribers] [Archive] [Search] [Contents]
Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. Clin. Microbiol. Rev.
Clin. Vaccine Immunol. ALL ASM JOURNALS

Copyright © 1998 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.