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Updated: Aug 25, 2026
Use of Interferon-γ Enzyme-linked Immunospot Assay to Characterize Novel T-cell Epitopes of Human Papillomavirus
Published on: March 8, 2012
Analysis of HLA-DRB1*0901-binding HPV-16 E7 helper T cell epitope
Mitsuo Okubo1, Maki Saito, Hiroki Inoku
1Transfusion Medicine and Cell Therapy, Saitama Medical Center, Saitama Medical School, Saitama, Japan. mitokubo@saitama-med.ac.jp
Aim:
This study sought to determine the human papillomavirus (HPV)-16 E7 epitopes that would be presented by HLA-DR molecules to CD4-positive T cells in patients with cervical carcinoma.
Methods:
HLA-DR binding assays were performed using HPV-16 E7-derived synthetic peptides and, after incubation with these DR-binding peptides, helper T cell frequencies were analyzed in patients whose HLA and HPV genotypes were confirmed.
Results:
We determined that the E7d peptide, 61CDSTLRLCVQSTHVDIRTL80E, was bound by HLA-DRB1*0901. An increased frequency (0.3-2.4%) of type 2 helper T cell responses was found in HLA-DRB1*0901-positive patients with cervical dysplasia and carcinoma. We found that when IL-12 was combined with E7d-peptide stimulation in vitro, the frequency of type 1 helper T cell responses also increased in patients with carcinoma.
Conclusion:
Thus HPV-16 E7d peptide as an HLA-DRB1*0901-restricted helper T cell epitope might usefully be incorporated into an understanding of the immunological mechanism and immunotherapy for this disease.
