CD4+ T cells against human papillomavirus-18 E7 in patients with high-grade cervical lesions associate with the absence of the virus in the cervix (original) (raw)

AI-generated Abstract

Cervical neoplastic lesions are linked to high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, particularly HPV-16 and HPV-18, with the latter being associated with approximately 15-18% of cases. Previous findings indicated that patients with high-grade lesions exhibited T cell responses to HPV-18 E6, suggesting prior HPV-18 encounters. In a study involving 23 HPV-18 E6-responsive patients, the presence of E7-specific CD4+ T cells was noted in all participants, but a robust Th1/Th2 response against E7 specifically correlated with HPV-18-negative status, hinting at potential viral clearance. Findings also showed strong anti-E7 immune responses in a subset of healthy donors. In contrast, responses to E6 were linked to disease stability regardless of HPV status, indicating distinct roles for E6 and E7 in immune response dynamics against the virus and tumor progression.