Prognostic significance of serum antibodies to human papillomavirus-16 E4 and E7 peptides in cervical cancer

Background. The objective of this study was to investigate the prognostic significance of serum antibodies to human papillomavirus (HPV)-16 peptides in patients with squamous cell cervical cancer. Methods. Pretreatment sera from 78 patients and 198 control women were tested by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique for reactivity with HPV-16 E4 (E401p) and E7 (E701p) synthetic peptides. The presence and serum level of these antibodies were correlated with tumor stage, histologic features, and prognostic parameters. Results. The median follow-up was 65 months (range, 6-97 months). Antibodies to E401p peptide were found in 5 of the 198(3%) control subjects, 4 of the 43(9%) patients with low tumor stage (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics [FIGO] Ia, Ib, IIa), and 7 of the 35 (20%) patients with advanced tumor stage (FIGO IIb, III, IVa). Antibodies to E701p were found in 25 (13%), 11 (26%), and 11 (31%) women, respectively. The differences between patients and control subjects were significant (P