BACKGROUND: The presence of human papillomavirus (HPV)-specific antibodies in patients with head and neck cancer at enrollment has prognostic significance. In cervical carcinoma patients, the decrease of HPV E6/E7-specific antibodies appears to be associated with a better prognosis. METHODS: This prospective study with follow-up focused on the persistence and prognostic value of antibodies specific for HR HPV-derived VLPs and HPV16 E6/E7 oncoproteins in patients with oropharyngeal cancers. In this study, we analyzed sera of 93 patients taken a year after the end of treatment and sera from 58 of these patients taken up to 14 years after treatment. RESULTS: The level of HPV-specific antibodies decreased on the 1-year follow-up and the decrease during the long follow-up was statistically significant. For HPV16 E7 antibodies the decrease was steeper in nonrecurrent patients. While the level of antibodies at enrollment was not predictive of recurrences, the decrease of HPV16 E6 antibodies at 1-year follow up was associated with better overall as well as disease-specific survival of patients. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that the pretreatment level of HPV-specific antibodies is not predictive of the occurrence of recurrences but the decrease HPV16 E6 antibodies on the 1-year follow-up is predictive of better survival of HN patients.

Department of Genetics and Microbiology Faculty of Science Charles University BIOCEV Průmyslová Vestec Czech Republic

Department of Immunology Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion Prague Czech Republic

Department of Mathematical Analysis and Applications of Mathematics Faculty of Science of the Palacky University in Olomouc Olomouc Czech Republic

Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery 1st Faculty of Medicine Charles University Motol University Hospital Prague Czech Republic

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Genome of Helicobacter pylori and Serotype of HPV Detected in Oropharyngeal and Laryngeal Cancer and Chronic Inflammation Patients