Sustained Cross-reactive Antibody Responses After Human Papillomavirus Vaccinations: Up to 12 Years Follow-up in the Finnish Maternity Cohort

Background. Human papillomaviruses (HPV) cause several human cancers. Bivalent (Cervarix) and quadrivalent (qGardasil) HPV vaccines both contain virus-like particles of the major oncogenic HPV types 16 and 18, but also cross-protect against some nonvaccine types. However, data on long-term sustainability of the cross-reactive antibody responses to HPV vaccines are scarce. Methods. Serum samples donated 7-12 years after immunization at age 16-17 years with bivalent (n = 730) or quadrivalent (n = 337) HPV vaccine were retrieved from the population-based Finnish Maternity Cohort biobank. Serum antibody levels against HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 68, and 73 were determined using multiplex pseudovirion binding assay. Antibody avidity was assessed using ammonium thiocyanate treatment. Results. Seropositivity for HPV31, 33, 35, 45, 51, 52, 58, 59, 68, and 73 was increasingly common (P <= .001; chi(2) test for trend for each of these types) when women had high anti-HPV16 antibody levels. For 8 nonvaccine HPV types seropositivity was more common among recipients of bivalent than quadrivalent vaccine, in particular for HPV31, 35, 45, 51, 52, and 58 (P < .001). Antibody avidity was higher in the quadrivalent vaccine recipients for HPV6, 11, and two of the nonvaccine types, but lower for HPV16 and 18 (P < .001). Conclusions. Both vaccines elicit cross-reactive antibodies detectable even 12 years after vaccination. Cross-reactive seropositivity is more common in women with high anti-HPV16 antibody response and in the bivalent vaccine recipients.

Automated summary

The study demonstrates that cross-reactive antibodies can still be detected 12 years after HPV vaccination. Women with high levels of anti-HPV16 antibodies and recipients of the bivalent vaccine show higher rates of cross-reactive seropositivity.