Human antibodies recognize multiple distinct type-specific and cross-reactive regions of the minor capsid proteins of human papillomavirus types 6 and 11.

Human serum samples derived from a case-control study of patients with cervical carcinoma (n = 174) or condyloma acuminatum (n = 25) were tested for the presence of immunoglobulin G antibodies to human papillomavirus type 6 (HPV6) L2 and HPV11 L2 recombinant proteins in a Western immunoblot assay. Thirty-six samples (18%) were positive for HPV6 L2 antibodies alone, 25 (13%) were positive for HPV11 L2 antibodies alone, and 34 (17%) were positive for both HPV6 L2 and HPV11 L2 antibodies. Thirty samples that were positive for both antibodies were tested for the presence of HPV6-HPV11 L2 cross-reactive antibodies. Fifteen (50%) serum samples contained HPV6-HPV11 L2 cross-reactive antibodies, and 15 (50%) contained independent, type-specific HPV6 L2 and HPV11 L2 antibodies. Altogether, 82% of the HPV6 L2 and HPV11 L2 antibody reactivities were type specific and 18% were HPV6-HPV11 cross-reactive. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of antibody reactivities between samples from patients with cervical carcinoma and those with condyloma acuminatum. Deletion mapping identified five HPV6 L2 regions that reacted with HPV6 type-specific antibodies: 6U1 (amino acids [aa] 152 to 173), 6U2 (aa 175 to 191), 6U3 (aa 187 to 199), 6U4 (aa 201 to 217), and 6U5 (aa 351 to 367). Five HPV11 L2 regions that reacted with HPV11 type-specific antibodies were identified: 11U1 (aa 49 to 84), 11U2 (aa 147 to 162), 11U3 (aa 179 to 188), 11U4 (aa 180 to 200), and 11U5 (aa 355 to 367). Two HPV6-HPV11 cross-reactive regions were identified: 6CR1 (HPV6 L2 aa 106 to 128)/11CR1 (HPV11 L2 aa 103 to 127) and 6CR2 (HPV6 L2 aa 187 to 199)/11CR2 (HPV11 L2 aa 180 to 200).