Time course of humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to human papillomavirus type 16 in infected women

The time course of cell-mediated and humoral immune responses was elucidated in eight women with human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) infection by performing serial HPV-16 E6 and E7 cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) assays and HPV-16 virus-like particle (VLP) antibody analyses. Four subjects had a single incident of HPV-16 DNA detection, and four subjects had two periods of HPV-16 DNA detection. In two of the women in the latter group, the second episode of HPV-16 detection occurred in the presence of high titers of HPV-16 VLP antibody, bringing into question the protective role of humoral immunity in preventing repeated infection. However, all four subjects rapidly became HPV-16 DNA negative following the second detection of HPV-16 DNA, suggesting the presence of immunological memory. In addition, one subject rapidly became negative for HPV-16 DNA despite having no evidence of CTL or VLP antibody response prior to the second HPV-16 DNA detection, suggesting the presence of immunological responses at an undetectable level. Overall, seven of eight subjects (88%) had detectable HPV-16 E6 and/or E7 CTL responses and seven of eight women (88%) had detectable HPV-16 VLP antibody responses.