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Naturally acquired HPV16 antibodies reduced risk for infection, cervical abnormalities
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New data suggest that naturally acquired HPV16 antibodies are associated with a lower risk for infection and cervical abnormalities associated with the virus. To a lesser extent, the same was true for naturally acquired HPV18 antibodies, according to a group of researchers worldwide.
“Naturally acquired antibodies can remain detectable for at least 4 to 5 years, albeit at much lower levels than those induced by vaccination,” the researchers wrote in The Journal of Infectious Diseases. “While some studies have not shown an immune protection role for naturally acquired antibodies, others have shown that they may provide protection against future infection.”
The researchers analyzed data from the Papilloma Trial against Cancer in Young Adults (PATRICIA) to determine whether natural HPV16 and HPV18 antibodies reduced the risk for new HPV infection and/or cervical abnormalities. The women assigned to the control arm in the PATRICIA trial did not receive the HPV vaccine. For this study, 8,193 women were included in the HPV16 analysis and 8,463 women were included in the HPV18 analysis.
For HPV16, the presence of natural antibodies at baseline lowered the risk for newly detected infection and atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance or greater (ASC-US+). The risk reduced gradually with higher antibody levels. Seropositivity overall was not associated with the development of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 (CIN1+) or higher, but those with the highest antibody levels at baseline had a significantly reduced risk of developing CIN1+ compared to seronegative women.
Natural antibodies to HPV18 at baseline was not associated with a lower risk of newly detected infection. But serostatus at baseline was significantly associated with ASC-US+ and with CIN1+.
“This study confirms the utility of control arm data from vaccine efficacy trials in understanding acquisition and progression of HPV infections and related cervical abnormalities,” the researchers wrote.
Disclosure: The study was supported was GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA. See the study for full list of researchers’ financial disclosures.
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