Serum immunoglobulin A response to human papillomavirus type 16 virus-like particles in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive and high-risk HIV-negative women

J Infect Dis. 2003 Dec 15;188(12):1834-44. doi: 10.1086/379975. Epub 2003 Dec 5.

Abstract

Serum samples from 2008 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive and 551 HIV-negative women were tested for immunoglobulin A (IgA) to human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 capsids. IgA seropositivity was lower than previously reported IgG seropositivity (7% vs. 51%), but, like IgG antibodies, HPV 16 IgA was associated with sexual behavior, cervicovaginal HPV 16 DNA, and cytological abnormalities. IgA seropositivity was higher in HIV-positive women than in HIV-negative women (7.7% vs. 4.9%; P=.02), but the association was lost after adjustment for HPV 16 cervicovaginal infection. IgA, but not IgG, seropositivity was associated with progression to high-grade cytological abnormalities (relative hazard [RH], 2.2 [95% confidence interval, 1.2-4.2]), raising the possibility that an IgA response to HPV 16, as described for other DNA viruses, may be a marker of persistent viral replication. The risk of incident infection with non-16-related HPV types was increased in IgA seropositive women (RH, 1.8 [95% confidence interval, 1.3-2.6]), compared with seronegative women (RH, 2.2 [95% confidence interval, 0.9-5.4]), but there was no difference in the risk of incident HPV 16 or HPV 16-related infections. This may be evidence of partial type-specific or clade-specific immunity conferred by seropositivity to HPV 16 capsids.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Viral / blood*
  • Capsid / immunology
  • Cervix Uteri / pathology
  • Cervix Uteri / virology
  • Cohort Studies
  • Confidence Intervals
  • DNA, Viral / analysis
  • Female
  • HIV Infections / complications*
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin A / blood*
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Odds Ratio
  • Papillomaviridae / genetics
  • Papillomaviridae / immunology*
  • Papillomaviridae / isolation & purification
  • Papillomavirus Infections / complications*
  • Papillomavirus Infections / pathology
  • Papillomavirus Infections / virology
  • Risk Factors
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • United States
  • Vagina / pathology
  • Vagina / virology
  • Vaginal Smears

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • DNA, Viral
  • Immunoglobulin A
  • Immunoglobulin G