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1887

Journal of General Virology header logo Journal of General Virology

Volume 88, Issue 3

Resolution of cervical dysplasia is associated with T-cell proliferative responses to human papillomavirus type 16 E2 No Access

Abstract

The ‘high-risk’ human papillomaviruses (HPVs) cause persistent infections of the anogenital region that may resolve spontaneously following activation of a protective immune response. The aim of this study was to determine whether cell-mediated immunity (CMI) to the early protein E2 was associated with disease regression and to establish whether E2 CMI and antibodies to L1 virus-like particles (VLPs) were associated markers of immunity to HPV. Lymphoproliferative responses to histidine-tagged E2 and antibody responses to VLPs were measured in patients with persistent cervical dysplasia, those whose disease had recently resolved and normal controls. Resolvers had significantly higher E2-specific lymphoproliferative responses when compared with normal controls or persisters, whereas there was no significant difference between the persisters and the normal controls. The T cells stimulated by E2 secreted high levels of gamma interferon (IFN-), consistent with a type 1 helper (Th1) phenotype. VLP IgG responses were associated with current or previous HPV infection, but not with disease regression or a lymphoproliferative response to E2. Major histocompatibility complex class I-restricted T cells secreted IFN- following stimulation with E1, and E2 peptides were detected more frequently in the persister group. The data showed that lymphoproliferative responses to E2 with a cytokine profile indicative of Th1 are associated with disease resolution, supporting the development of a therapeutic vaccine that activates this type of response for the treatment of individuals with pre-existing disease.

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2007-03-01
2025-03-21
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Resolution of cervical dysplasia is associated with T-cell proliferative responses to human papillomavirus type 16 E2
J. Gen. Virol. 88, 803 (2007); https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.82678-0
/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/vir.0.82678-0
/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/vir.0.82678-0
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