Use of human papillomavirus type 11 virions in an ELISA to detect specific antibodies in humans with condylomata acuminata

• Published in: Journal of general virology 1991-06, Vol.72 (6), p.1343-1347
• Main Authors: Bonnez, William, Da Rin, Carrie, Rose, Robert C, Reichman, Richard C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Antibodies, Viral - analysis; Antigens, Viral - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Biopsy; Condylomata Acuminata - diagnosis; Condylomata Acuminata - immunology; Condylomata Acuminata - microbiology; Condylomata Acuminata - pathology; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Microbiology; Papillomaviridae - immunology; Reference Values; Skin Diseases - immunology; Skin Diseases - microbiology; Techniques used in virology; Virion - immunology; Virology; Warts - immunology; Warts - microbiology
• ISSN: 0022-1317; 1465-2099
• DOI: 10.1099/0022-1317-72-6-1343

Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 689, Rochester, New York 14642, U.S.A. Human papillomavirus types 6 and 11 (HPV-6 and HPV-11) are the major aetiological agents of condylomata acuminata. Serological studies of this disease have been difficult to perform and interpret because native, type-specific antigens have not been available. In particular, since these viruses have not been propagated in vitro and sufficient quantities of virions are not present in lesions, virus particles have been difficult to obtain. In the present study, we used HPV-11 particles, obtained from human tumours produced in athymic mice, as antigen in an ELISA to compare antibody responses between 46 patients with biopsy-proven condylomata acuminata and 44 controls. The median [interquartile range] of the absorbance values for the condylomata acuminata and the control groups were respectively 0·324 [0·183, 1·029] and 0·118 [0·047, 0·286] ( P =0·001). Thirty-three per cent of the absorbance values in the condylomata acuminata group were higher than any of those of the control group. Sera from patients whose biopsies contained the papillomavirus common antigen were more reactive than sera from patients whose biopsies did not contain it ( P =0·0014). This study demonstrates the presence of specific antibodies directed at native HPV-11 viral particles in the sera of patients with condylomata acuminata, and describes a test which can be used in future serological studies of this common sexually transmitted disease. Received 3 December 1990; accepted 28 February 1991.