Preliminary Development and Assessment of a Multiplex Assay for Human Papillomavirus Antibody Detection Using Commercial L1 Proteins.
This preliminary human-sample study developed a Luminex multiplex assay using commercial L1 proteins from seven HPV types and reported strong IgG performance for several types, correlated IgA and IgG signals, and discrimination among blinded antibody-response groups.
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This preliminary human-sample study developed a Luminex multiplex assay using commercial L1 proteins from seven HPV types and reported strong IgG performance for several types, correlated IgA and IgG signals, and discrimination among blinded antibody-response groups.
Research significance
The record supports the assay as a potential scalable tool for measuring type-specific HPV vaccine antibody responses; by inference, after further standardization and clinical validation, it could help assess population immunity or vaccination programs relevant to preventing HPV-associated cancers, but it does not establish treatment selection, cancer outcomes, or protective antibody thresholds.
Source abstract
BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers are preventable with vaccination. Serologic assays monitor antibody responses, but their complexity and cost pose limitations when evaluating population level immunity. We developed an L1-based assay for the detection of multiple type-specific HPV antibodies. METHODS: The Luminex-based assay used recombinant L1 proteins from seven HPVs (HPV-6/11/16/18/35/45/58) for the detection of type-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgA. Cutoffs were established using plasma from infants and children. The assay was optimized and qualified using a sample set from a blinded proficiency panel developed at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research. RESULTS: Sensitivity and specificity for anti-HPV-6/11/16/18/58 IgG were 100% at the Mean + 3 standard deviation [SD] and Mean + 5 SD thresholds. Sensitivity for HPV-45 was 100% and 92.9% at the +3 SD and +5 SD thresholds, respectively. IgA detection showed moderate positivity among vaccinated individuals, with peak estimates of 96.4% (HPV-11) and 85.7% (HPV-58) at the +3 SD threshold. IgA was correlated with IgG (Spearman's ρ = 0.74). The L1-assay differentiated high, intermediate, low, and negative response groups from the blinded samples for all HPV genotypes (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The L1-binding assay has the potential to be a scalable option for high-throughput detection of broad-spectrum HPV immunoglobulins, but further standardization and validation are needed.