Immunity to oncogenic human papillomaviruses.

¹Laboratory of Tumor Virus Epidemiology, Microbiology and Tumor Biology Center, Karolinska Institute, S-17177 Stockholm, Sweden.

|July 13, 2001

Summary

Human papillomavirus (HPV) immunity, particularly antibody responses, underpins vaccine development for cervical cancer prevention. Cellular immunity

Area of Science:

Background:

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a primary cause of several cancers, notably cervical cancer.
Understanding HPV immunity is crucial for developing effective prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines.

Purpose of the Study:

To review and analyze the literature on humoral and cellular immunity to HPV.
To perform a meta-analysis on the association between human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and cervical cancer risk.

Main Methods:

Conducted a literature review focusing on humoral and cellular immunity to HPV.
Performed a meta-analysis of studies on HLA and cervical cancer, using Medline search and citation analysis.
Graded studies based on pre-assigned quality criteria for study design.

Main Results:

Antibody response to HPV is primarily neutralizing and targets type-specific epitopes.
Virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines show high efficacy in animal models and induce stable antibody responses in humans.
Certain HLA class II haplotypes (e.g., DQw3, DR15) are associated with altered cervical cancer risk, while Th2 cytokine profiles correlate with cancer progression.
Cellular immunity, including cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses, is implicated in HPV infection clearance and cervical carcinogenesis.

Conclusions:

Antibody responses to HPV mediate type-specific protective immunity, forming the basis for prophylactic vaccines.
Cellular immunity plays a role in cervical carcinogenesis, but the specific mechanisms and targets for HPV clearance remain to be fully elucidated.

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