Antibodies to human papillomavirus 16 L1 virus-like particles as an independent prognostic marker in cervical cancer.

Objective: Infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) types such as HPV-16 is a major risk factor for the development of cervical cancer. HPV-16 capsid antibodies are detectable in approximately 50% of patients with HPV-16 DNA-positive cervical cancer. We investigated the prognostic significance of HPV capsid antibodies for survival in patients with cervical cancer in comparison with conventional clinicopathologic features such as staging, histologic grading, histology, age, and treatment modality.