Prophylactic human papillomavirus vaccines to prevent cervical cancer: review of the Phase II and III trials

Prevalence of human papillomavirus infection in women in Benin, West Africa

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer ranks as the first most frequent cancer among women in Benin. The major cause of cervical cancer now recognized is persistent infection of Human Papillomavirus (HPV). In Benin there is a lack of screening programs for prevention of cervical cancer and little information exists regarding HPV genotype distribution.

METHODS

Cervical cells from 725 women were examined for the presence of viral DNA by means of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) multiplex-based assay with the amplification of a fragment of L1 region and of E6/E7 region of the HPV genome, and of abnormal cytology by Papanicolaou method. The association between HPV status and Pap test reports was evaluated. Socio-demographic and reproductive characteristics were also related.

RESULTS

A total of 18 different HPV types were identified, with a prevalence of 33.2% overall, and 52% and 26.7% among women with and without cervical lesions, respectively. Multiple HPV infections were observed in 40.2% of HPV-infected women. In the HPV-testing group, the odds ratio for the detection of abnormal cytology was 2.98 (95% CI, 1.83-4.84) for HPV positive in comparison to HPV negative women. High risk types were involved in 88% of infections, most notably HPV-59, HPV-35, HPV-16, HPV-18, HPV-58 and HPV-45. In multiple infections of women with cytological abnormalities HPV-45 predominated.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides the first estimates of the prevalence of HPV and type-specific distribution among women from Benin and demonstrates that the epidemiology of HPV infection in Benin is different from that of other world regions. Specific area vaccinations may be needed to prevent cervical cancer and the other HPV-related diseases.

Prevalence of human papillomavirus infection and genotype distribution among high-risk Korean women for prospecting the strategy of vaccine development

We investigated the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the distribution of high-risk HPV genotypes among 2,308 high-risk Korean women to predict how much the current prophylactic HPV vaccines might affect the prevention of cervical cancer in Korea. HPV DNA was detected in 939 women (40.7%) but only one-third of women were positive for HPV-16 and/or HPV-18, the genotypes used for developing the HPV vaccines. Thus, the development of area-specific HPV vaccines based on dominant HPV genotypes in our country is needed for preventing HPV infection and the development of premalignant lesions in the cervix of Korean women.

HPV prevalence in Colombian women with cervical cancer: implications for vaccination in a developing country

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines have been considered potentially cost-effective for the reduction of cervical cancer burden in developing countries; their effectiveness in a public health setting continues to be researched. We conducted an HPV prevalence survey among Colombian women with invasive cancer. Paraffin-embedded biopsies were obtained from one high-risk and one low-middle-risk regions. GP5+/GP6+ L1 primers, RLB assays, and E7 type specific PCR were used for HPV-DNA detection. 217 cases were analyzed with 97.7% HPV detection rate. HPV-16/18 prevalence was 63.1%; HPV-18 had lower occurrence in the high-risk population (13.8% versus 9.6%) allowing for the participation of less common HPV types; HPV-45 was present mainly in women under 50 and age-specific HPV type prevalence revealed significant differences. Multiple high-risk infections appeared in 16.6% of cases and represent a chance of replacement. Age-specific HPV prevalence and multiple high-risk infections might influence vaccine impact. Both factors highlight the role of HPVs other than 16/18, which should be considered in cost-effectiveness analyses for potential vaccine impact.

Clinical update of the AS04-adjuvanted human papillomavirus-16/18 cervical cancer vaccine, Cervarix

Persistent infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) is a necessary cause of cervical cancer, resulting annually in 274,000 deaths worldwide. Two prophylactic HPV vaccines are licensed in >100 countries, and immunization programs in young, adolescent girls have been widely implemented. HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine (Cervarix; GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, Rixensart, Belgium) has demonstrated type-specific protection against the five most frequent cancer-causing types (16, 18, 31, 33, and 45) that are responsible for 82% of invasive cervical cancers globally. Cervarix has demonstrated efficacy against HPV-45, which is the third most common HPV type in cervical cancer and adenocarcinoma. Final results of a large phase 3 trial recently showed Cervarix substantially reduced the overall burden of cervical precancerous lesions (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2+) by 70.2% in an HPV-naïve population approximating young girls prior to sexual debut, the target of most current vaccination programs. Protection offered by Cervarix against nonvaccine types (mainly 31, 33, and 45) might potentially allow for 11%-16% additional protection against cervical cancers, compared to a vaccine only offering protection against HPV-16/18. Another recent study directly compared the antibody response of Cervarix to that of quadrivalent HPV-6/11/16/18 vaccine (Gardasil; Merck, Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA). Cervarix induced significantly superior neutralizing antibody levels as compared with Gardasil for HPV-16 and HPV-18 in all age groups studied. This may translate into more women having detectable (neutralizing) antibodies in cervicovaginal secretions for HPV-16 and HPV-18 after vaccination with Cervarix when compared with Gardasil. Cervarix induced significantly higher frequencies of antigen-specific memory B-cells and T-cells in responders for HPV-16 and HPV-18 as compared with Gardasil. Cervarix continues to show sustained high levels of total and neutralizing antibodies for HPV-16 and HPV-18, 7.3 years after vaccination. This is associated with high efficacy and no breakthrough cases in the HPV-naïve population, and is the longest duration follow-up for safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy for any licensed HPV vaccine to date.

[Human papillomavirus and cervical neoplasia]

Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been established as an important etiological factor for the development of cervical cancer. This DNA virus primarily infects the epithelium and can induce benign and malignant lesions of the mucous membranes and skin. Some HPVs are considered high risk due to their role in malignant progression of cervical tumors. Genital HPV infections are common and usually transient among young sexually active women. Only a small fraction of infected women develop cervical cancer, implying the involvement of environmental and genetic cofactors in cervical carcinogenesis. Classification, virology, pathology, natural history, epidemiological features of genital HPV infection, and future prospects for cervical cancer prevention with HPV vaccines will be reviewed here.

Cervical cancer vaccination: the real meaning of cross-protection and its impact on the prevention

Prophylactic VLP-based vaccines effectively prevent papillomavirus infections with a high level of antibodies and safety. An 18% increased efficacy against CIN 2+ lesions associated with HPVs 16/18 has been observed with the appliance of the HPV16/18 AS04 adjuvanted recombinant vaccine.