Antibody levels against galactosyl (alpha1 --> 3) galactose epitopes in cervical mucus from patients with human papillomavirus infection.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

The general objective of the present study is to quantify antigalactosyl (alpha1 --> 3) galactose (anti-Gal) antibody levels in the cervical mucus of patients with/without human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and, as specific objectives, to compare these levels in the different HPV subgroups and with the presence of intraepithelial lesions.

METHODS:

Sixty women between 18 and 35 years old (mean: 26 years) were studied through the following methods: vaginal cytology, colposcopy, biopsy of suspicious lesions, sample taking for evaluating HPV presence through PCR and hybridization, and quantification of anti-Gal levels using ELISA with laminin antigen extracted from the Engelbreth-Horm-Swarm cell line.

RESULTS:

The presence of HPV was detected in 55% of patients; 45% of them had intermediate/high oncogenic risk HPV, 12% had low oncogenic risk HPV, and the other 43% had both subgroups. There were significantly higher anti-Gal levels in the HPV+ group when compared with the HPV- group (P < 0.0001); also, when dividing the HPV+ group into one subgroup with normal cytology and another with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 1, we found higher values in the latter group (P < 0.0001). There was no significant difference in anti-Gal levels in the various HPV subgroups.

CONCLUSION:

High anti-Gal levels are found in the cervical mucus of patients with HPV infection and CIN 1, which suggests the participation of local humoral immunity in cervical lesions.

• Authors: Dimas E Hernàndez, Aaron Cohen, Denisse Fisher, Marìa Correnti, Ricardo Harner
• Journal: Gynecologic oncology (Gynecol Oncol) Vol. 84 Issue 3 Pg. 374-7 (Mar 2002) ISSN: 0090-8258 [Print] United States
• PMID: 11855872 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Disaccharides
• Immunoglobulin G
• galactosyl-(1-3)galactose

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Cervix Mucus (immunology)
• Disaccharides (immunology)
• Female
• Humans
• Immunoglobulin G (immunology, metabolism)
• Nucleic Acid Hybridization
• Papillomaviridae (genetics, immunology)
• Papillomavirus Infections (immunology)
• Polymerase Chain Reaction
• Risk Factors
• Tumor Virus Infections (immunology)
• Uterine Cervical Neoplasms (immunology, virology)
• Uterine Cervical Dysplasia (immunology, virology)