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Human papillomaviruses (HPV) play a causative role in the aetiology of cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN) and cervical cancer. Human leukocyte antigens (HLA) are important in the regulation of immune response to foreign antigens. The role of genetic variation at the HLA class II loci (DR and DQ) in CIN (HPV 16, 18, 31 and 33 typed) was investigated by PCR DNA amplification and oligonucleotide probe typing of cervical smears from British Caucasian patients (n = 176) and controls (n = 416). The alleles of the DQB1*03, DRB1*04 and DRB1*11 loci were strongly associated with susceptibility to CIN. Specifically, the haplotypes DRB1*0401-DQB1*0301 and DRB1*1101-DQB1*0301 were significant and indicated susceptibility. The DQB1*03 locus was more contributory to this association than the DRB1 loci. A weak protective effect was shown for the haplotype DRB1*0101-DQB1*0501. Positive correlation was also observed for HPV-positive CIN, suggesting that specific HLA class II alleles may be important in determining the immune response to HPV antigens and the risk for CIN after HPV infection. Our results should help in the rational design of vaccines against HPV.

Original publication

DOI

10.1002/(SICI)1097-0215(19960904)67:5<595::AID-IJC1>3.0.CO;2-P

Type

Journal article

Journal

Int J Cancer

Publication Date

04/09/1996

Volume

67

Pages

595 - 602

Keywords

Alleles, Base Sequence, Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia, DNA, Disease Susceptibility, Female, HLA-DQ Antigens, HLA-DQ beta-Chains, HLA-DR Antigens, HLA-DRB1 Chains, HLA-DRB3 Chains, HLA-DRB4 Chains, HLA-DRB5 Chains, Haplotypes, Humans, Papillomaviridae, Papillomavirus Infections, Polymerase Chain Reaction