Results obtained in the present work indicated that the Luminex assay is more sensitive than ELISA. The reactivity to the early antigens E6 and E7 was 37% versus 42% for HPV 16 and 21% versus 20% for HPV 18 among cervical cancer cases using ELISA. However, these ratios were 44% and 61%, respectively, for E6 and E7 HPV 16 versus 28% and 21% for E6 and E7 HPV 18 when using the Luminex technique. Data also indicated that HPV 16 and HPV 18 showed distinct profiles for the different antigens tested. Finally, the differences in antibody responses between cervical cancer cases and benign cases toward the different antigens were significant.

In spite of preventive measures such as Papanicolaou cervical cytological analysis and, more recently, vaccination against HPV infection, cancer of the uterine cervix continues to be one of the most frequent causes of mortality among women worldwide, particularly in developing countries. In this prospective study, sixty patients with inflammatory Pap smears had a colposcopy with directed biopsies. The average age of our patients was 42 years. Results showed that colposcopy is normal in 10% of women. It showed normal transformations, ectropion, a colpotis and polyp at 8.33%, 21.66%, 13.33% and 5% respectively. It was able to detect changes with Grade I atypical transformations (28.33%), and Grade II atypical transformations in 13.33% of cases. The biopsies were objectified dysplasia and carcinoma in 24.13% of cases with carcinoma in situ, micro invasive squamous cell carcinoma and invasive carcinoma glandular. Moreover, we detected HPV-specific antibodies in sera of these patients. Results showed that six patients (10%) showed a positive reactivity to at least one of the HPV-16 or HPV-18 antigens and sera showed different reactivity to the different antigens with the following percentages: 5%, 3%, 2%, 3% and 3% for L1 HPV-16, E6 HPV-16, E7 HPV-16, E6 HPV-18 and E7 HPV-18 respectively. Among patients having positive antibody response, 83.33% were cases of dysplasia and carcinoma. We concluded that the Pap smear, examination of key screening for cervical cancer, is a screening test without diagnostic value and more specifically any inflammatory Pap smear should be considered a positive test and led to further investigations. Moreover, colposcopy is an exam that is performed on an outpatient basis; it allows a detailed study of the cervix and reduces the negative rate of cytology. In addition, early detection of HPV antibodies could help the follow-up of patients.

Antibody detection depends on the type of antigen, and is well correlated with international scientific findings. The differences in antibody response between patients with inflammation and patients with cervical cancer were significant.

Results obtained in the present work indicated that the Luminex assay is more sensitive than ELISA. The reactivity to the early antigens E6 and E7 was 37% versus 42% for HPV 16 and 21% versus 20% for HPV 18 among cervical cancer cases using ELISA. However, these ratios were 44% and 61%, respectively, for E6 and E7 HPV 16 versus 28% and 21% for E6 and E7 HPV 18 when using the Luminex technique. Data also indicated that HPV 16 and HPV 18 showed distinct profiles for the different antigens tested. Finally, the differences in antibody responses between cervical cancer cases and benign cases toward the different antigens were significant.

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