Antibodies against human papillomavirus proteins in Barrett's dysplasia and intramucosal esophageal adenocarcinoma

Abstract

High‐risk human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16/18 have been associated with Barrett's dysplasia (BD)/esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Nevertheless, no data exist in relation to serological analysis for HPV antibodies in BD/EAC with site‐specific viral DNA status. We prospectively examined antibodies to multiple HPV types in 438 patients representing hospital/reflux controls and Barrett's metaplasia (BM)/BD/intramucosal EAC. Antibody responses to HPV6/11/16/18/31/33/45/52/58 were analyzed using multiplex serology, including antibodies to E6/E7/E1/E2 and L1 antigens. Seropositivity for individual HPV proteins was infrequent in both cases and controls and was ≤10.2%. There was no difference in the seroprevalence of antibodies to any HPV antigen/antibody combination between reclassified cases (BD/EAC) and controls (hospital/reflux/BM) or between HPV16 or HPV18 DNA cases and controls, respectively. Among HPV16 DNA–positive BD/EAC cases, antibodies to HPV16 E7 were significantly more prevalent (3/26, 11.5%) than in hospital and reflux controls plus BM (5/328, 1.5%) (adjusted OR = 10.12, 95% CI: 1.61–63.73, P = 0.014). Among HPV18 DNA–positive cases, antibodies to HPV18 E1 were present in 3/6 (50%) cases versus 5/328 (1.5%) controls (adjusted OR = 44.28, 95% CI: 6.10–321.47, P = 0.0002). Although antibodies against HPV were generally uncommon in cases and controls, immune responses against two early proteins of HPV16/18 were significantly more frequent in viral DNA–positive BD/intramucosal EAC.