The HPV Serology Laboratory leads an initiative to standardize and harmonize human papillomavirus serology assays.

The HPV Serology Laboratory is leading a global partnership initiative aiming for standardization and harmonization of current serology assay platforms being used to assess immune responses to HPV vaccines. Serology standardization is particularly important given the increasing number of immunobridging trials relying on serology data for approval of new vaccine dosing schedules or vaccine formulations. The initiative was established in 2017 to enable comparisons of data between different vaccines and relevant studies as well as expedite the implementation of new vaccines and vaccine indications. The HPV Serology Laboratory has held or attended several meetings with partnering laboratories, including international meetings in 2017, 2018, and 2021.

Clinical Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Oral Fluids Following Infection and Vaccination.

BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 variants continue to circulate globally, even within highly vaccinated populations. The first-generation SARS-CoV-2 vaccines elicit neutralizing immunoglobin G (IgG) antibodies that prevent severe COVID-19 but induce only weak antibody responses in mucosal tissues. There is increasing recognition that secretory immunoglobin A (SIgA) antibodies in the upper respiratory tract and oral cavity are critical in interrupting virus shedding, transmission, and progression of disease. To fully understand the immune-related factors that influence SARS-CoV-2 dynamics at the population level, it will be necessary to monitor virus-specific IgG and SIgA in systemic and mucosal compartments. CONTENT: Oral fluids and saliva, with appropriate standardized collection methods, constitute a readily accessible biospecimen type from which both systemic and mucosal antibodies can be measured. Serum-derived IgG and immunoglobin A (IgA) are found in gingival crevicular fluids and saliva as the result of transudation, while SIgA, which is produced in response to mucosal infection and vaccination, is actively transported across salivary gland epithelia and present in saliva and passive drool. In this mini-review, we summarize the need for the implementation of standards, highly qualified reagents, and best practices to ensure that clinical science is both rigorous and comparable across laboratories and institutions. We discuss the need for a better understanding of sample stability, collection methods, and other factors that affect measurement outcomes and interlaboratory variability. SUMMARY: The establishment of best practices and clinical laboratory standards for the assessment of SARS-CoV-2 serum and mucosal antibodies in oral fluids is integral to understanding immune-related factors that influence COVID-19 transmission and persistence within populations.

Antibodies to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in All of Us Research Program Participants, 2 January to 18 March 2020.

BACKGROUND: With limited severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) testing capacity in the United States at the start of the epidemic (January-March 2020), testing was focused on symptomatic patients with a travel history throughout February, obscuring the picture of SARS-CoV-2 seeding and community transmission. We sought to identify individuals with SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the early weeks of the US epidemic. METHODS: All of Us study participants in all 50 US states provided blood specimens during study visits from 2 January to 18 March 2020. Participants were considered seropositive if they tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies with the Abbott Architect SARS-CoV-2 IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the EUROIMMUN SARS-CoV-2 ELISA in a sequential testing algorithm. The sensitivity and specificity of these ELISAs and the net sensitivity and specificity of the sequential testing algorithm were estimated, along with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: The estimated sensitivities of the Abbott and EUROIMMUN assays were 100% (107 of 107 [95% CI: 96.6%-100%]) and 90.7% (97 of 107 [83.5%-95.4%]), respectively, and the estimated specificities were 99.5% (995 of 1000 [98.8%-99.8%]) and 99.7% (997 of 1000 [99.1%-99.9%]), respectively. The net sensitivity and specificity of our sequential testing algorithm were 90.7% (97 of 107 [95% CI: 83.5%-95.4%]) and 100.0% (1000 of 1000 [99.6%-100%]), respectively. Of the 24 079 study participants with blood specimens from 2 January to 18 March 2020, 9 were seropositive, 7 before the first confirmed case in the states of Illinois, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Mississippi. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings identified SARS-CoV-2 infections weeks before the first recognized cases in 5 US states.

Selection, Characterization, Calibration, and Distribution of the U.S. Serology Standard for Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Detection.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic resulted in a demand for highly specific and sensitive serological testing to evaluate seroprevalence and antiviral immune responses to infection and vaccines. Hence, there was an urgent need for a serology standard to harmonize results across different natural history and vaccine studies. The Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNLCR) generated a U.S. serology standard for SARS-CoV-2 serology assays and subsequently calibrated it to the WHO international standard (National Institute for Biological Standards and Control [NIBSC] code 20/136) (WHO IS). The development included a collaborative study to evaluate the suitability of the U.S. serology standard as a calibrator for SARS-CoV-2 serology assays. The eight laboratories participating in the study tested a total of 17 assays, which included commercial and in-house-derived binding antibody assays, as well as neutralization assays. Notably, the use of the U.S. serology standard to normalize results led to a reduction in the inter-assay coefficient of variation (CV) for IgM levels (pre-normalization range, 370.6% to 1,026.7%, and post-normalization range, 52.8% to 242.3%) and a reduction in the inter-assay CV for IgG levels (pre-normalization range, 3,416.3% to 6,160.8%, and post-normalization range, 41.6% to 134.6%). The following results were assigned to the U.S. serology standard following calibration against the WHO IS: 246 binding antibody units (BAU)/mL for Spike IgM, 764 BAU/mL for Spike IgG, 1,037 BAU/mL for Nucleocapsid IgM, 681 BAU/mL for Nucleocapsid IgG assays, and 813 neutralizing international units (IU)/mL for neutralization assays. The U.S. serology standard has been made publicly available as a resource to the scientific community around the globe to help harmonize results between laboratories.

Next generation polyphosphazene immunoadjuvant: Synthesis, self-assembly and in vivo potency with human papillomavirus VLPs-based vaccine.

Poly[di(carboxylatomethylphenoxy)phosphazene] (PCMP), a new member of polyphosphazene immunoadjuvant family, is synthesized. In vitro assessment of a new macromolecule revealed hydrolytic degradation profile and immunostimulatory activity comparable to its clinical stage homologue PCPP; however, PCMP was characterized by a beneficial reduced sensitivity to the ionic environment. In vivo evaluation of PCMP potency was conducted with human papillomavirus (HPV) virus-like particles (VLPs) based RG1-VLPs vaccine. In contrast with previously reported self-assembly of polyphosphazene adjuvants with proteins, which typically results in the formation of complexes with multimeric display of antigens, PCMP surface modified VLPs in a composition dependent pattern, which at a high polymer-to VLPs ratio led to stabilization of antigenic particles. Immunization experiments in mice demonstrated that PCMP adjuvanted RG1-VLPs vaccine induced potent humoral immune responses, in particular, on the level of highly desirable protective cross-neutralizing antibodies, and outperformed PCPP and Alhydrogel adjuvanted formulations.

A co-financing model for the mitigation of highway runoff pollution.

Highway runoff impacts urban and natural ecosystems negatively. A financing model, that is economically feasible and accepted by all stakeholders, has been a limitation for the implementation of pollution control measures. A case-study on a 279-km Portuguese Highway is presented as a basis for a co-financing model. Runoff pollution load was estimated for quality indicators (TSS, COD, Zn, Cu, Pb), and the total cost of infiltration trenches, sand filters, bioretention filters, wet basins, dry basins and constructed wetlands systems was computed for four catchment scenarios. The effect of the equivalent catchment size and system type on the total cost was evaluated. The users 'Willingness to Pay' (defined as pay-per-user and availability to participate actively and financially) was assessed through a survey (1192 responses). A proposed co-financing model suggests that citizens will participate up to 36.8% of the constructed wetlands cost. This multidisciplinary approach results in potential outcomes that include a legal framework, proven technical solutions, and users' environmental responsibility.

Endogenous estradiol and inflammation biomarkers: potential interacting mechanisms of obesity-related disease.

PURPOSE: Disentangling the effects of endogenous estrogens and inflammation on obesity-related diseases requires a clearer understanding of how the two biological mechanisms relate to each other. METHODS: We studied 155 healthy postmenopausal women not taking menopausal hormone therapy enrolled in the Prostate Lung Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) screening cancer trial. From a baseline blood draw, we measured endogenous estradiol and 69 inflammation biomarkers: cytokines, chemokines, adipokines, angiogenic factors, growth factors, acute phase proteins, and soluble receptors. We evaluated the estradiol-inflammation relationship by assessing associations across different models (linear, ordinal logistic, and binary logistic) using a variety of estradiol classifications. We additionally investigated the estradiol-inflammation relationship stratified by baseline obesity status (BMI < 30 stratum and BMI > 30 stratum). RESULTS: Associations of estradiol with 7 inflammation biomarkers met p < 0.05 statistical significance in linear and ordinal models: C-reactive protein (CRP), adiponectin, chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand-6, thymus activation-regulated chemokine, eosinophil chemotactic protein, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, and serum amyloid A. The positive association between estradiol and CRP was robust to model changes. Each standard deviation increase in endogenous estradiol doubled a woman's odds of having CRP levels higher than the study median (odds ratio 2.29; 95% confidence interval 1.28, 4.09). Estradiol was consistently inversely associated with adiponectin. Other estradiol-inflammation biomarker associations were not robust to model changes. CONCLUSIONS: Endogenous estradiol appears to be associated with CRP and adiponectin; the evidence is limited for other inflammation biomarkers.

Sensitivity of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Lineage and Sublineage Variant Pseudoviruses to Neutralization by Nonavalent Vaccine Antibodies.

Natural variants of human papillomavirus (HPV) are classified into lineages and sublineages based upon whole-genome sequence, but the impact of diversity on protein function is unclear. We investigated the susceptibility of 3-8 representative pseudovirus variants of HPV16, HPV18, HPV31, HPV33, HPV45, HPV52, and HPV58 to neutralization by nonavalent vaccine (Gardasil®9) sera. Many variants demonstrated significant differences in neutralization sensitivity from their consensus A/A1 variant but these were of a low magnitude. HPV52 D and HPV58 C variants exhibited >4-fold reduced sensitivities compared to their consensus A/A1 variant and should be considered distinct serotypes with respect to nonavalent vaccine-induced immunity.

Prediagnostic circulating markers of inflammation and risk of oesophageal adenocarcinoma: a study within the National Cancer Institute Cohort Consortium.

OBJECTIVE: Cross-sectional data indicate that systemic inflammation is important in oesophageal adenocarcinoma. We conducted a prospective study to assess whether prediagnostic circulating markers of inflammation were associated with oesophageal adenocarcinoma and to what extent they mediated associations of obesity and cigarette smoking with cancer risk. DESIGN: This nested case-control study included 296 oesophageal adenocarcinoma cases and 296 incidence density matched controls from seven prospective cohort studies. We quantitated 69 circulating inflammation markers using Luminex-based multiplex assays. Conditional logistic regression models estimated associations between inflammation markers and oesophageal adenocarcinoma, as well as direct and indirect effects of obesity and smoking on risk of malignancy. RESULTS: Soluble tumour necrosis factor receptor 2 (sTNFR2) (ORsquartile 4 vs 1=2.67, 95% CI 1.52 to 4.68) was significantly associated with oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Additional markers close to the adjusted significance threshold included C reactive protein, serum amyloid A, lipocalin-2, resistin, interleukin (IL) 3, IL17A, soluble IL-6 receptor and soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3. Adjustment for body mass index, waist circumference or smoking status slightly attenuated biomarker-cancer associations. Mediation analysis indicated that sTNFR2 may account for 33% (p=0.005) of the effect of waist circumference on oesophageal adenocarcinoma risk. Resistin, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1, C reactive protein and serum amyloid A were also identified as potential mediators of obesity-oesophageal adenocarcinoma associations. For smoking status, only plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 was a nominally statistically significant (p<0.05) mediator of cancer risk. CONCLUSION: This prospective study provides evidence of a link between systemic inflammation and oesophageal adenocarcinoma risk. In addition, this study provides the first evidence that indirect effects of excess adiposity and cigarette smoking, via systemic inflammation, increase the risk of oesophageal adenocarcinoma.

Circulating inflammation markers and colorectal adenoma risk.

Inflammation is a driver of colorectal neoplasia; however, what particular inflammatory processes play a role in early carcinogenesis are unclear. We compared serum levels of 78 inflammation markers between 171 pathologically confirmed colorectal adenoma cases (including 48 incident cases) and 344 controls within the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. We used weighted multivariable logistic regression to compute odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). We found 14 markers associated with risk of adenoma overall; three of these were also associated with incident adenoma: CC-chemokine cysteine motif chemokine ligand 20 (CCL20) [overall adenoma fourth versus first quartile: OR 4.8, 95% CI 2.0-12, Ptrend 0.0007; incident adenoma third versus first tertile: OR 4.6, 95% CI 1.0-22, Ptrend 0.03], growth-related gene oncogene products (GRO) [OR 3.8, 95% CI 1.6-9.3, Ptrend 0.006 and OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.1-12, Ptrend 0.04, respectively] and insulin [OR 2.9, 95% CI 0.8-10, Ptrend 0.05 and OR 7.8, 95% CI 1.3-46, Ptrend 0.03, respectively]. All statistical tests were two-sided. These results provide important new evidence implicating CCL20- and GRO-related pathways in early colorectal carcinogenesis and further support a role for insulin.

Circulating inflammation-related markers and advanced gastric premalignant lesions.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Chronic Helicobacter pylori infection causes gastric mucosal inflammation as an important antecedent of gastric cancer. We aimed to evaluate associations of blood markers of inflammation with gastric intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia in H. pylori-infected individuals. METHODS: We compared pre-treatment serum levels of immune-related and inflammation-related markers between 99 individuals with intestinal metaplasia or dysplasia and 75 control individuals with non-atrophic gastritis within an H. pylori eradication trial in Mexico. Serum levels of 28 markers measured with Luminex bead-based assays were categorized in tertiles as low (T1), middle (T2), and high (T3). Logistic regression models were used to calculate age-adjusted and sex-adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. All statistical tests were two-sided, and significance values were adjusted for multiple comparisons using false discovery rate methods. RESULTS: Five markers were nominally associated (Ptrend  < 0.05) with the presence of advanced premalignant gastric lesions. Adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of T2 and T3 versus T1 were 4.09 (1.65-10.17) and 3.08 (1.23-7.68) for CCL3/MIP1A, 3.21 (1.33-7.75) and 2.69 (1.10-6.57) for CCL20/MIP3A levels, 1.79 (0.77-4.18) and 2.39 (1.02-5.60) for IL-1ß, 1.34 (0.56-3.19) and 3.02 (1.29-7.12) for IL-4, and 1.07 (0.44-2.59) and 3.07 (1.32-7.14) for IL-5, respectively. Two (IL-4 and IL-5) of the five markers had false discovery rate adjusted Ptrend  < 0.2. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that certain Th2 and other cytokines may have a role in promoting carcinogenesis in the setting of H. pylori infection. Additional research is needed to replicate these findings, extend to pre-diagnostic samples, and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

Circulating inflammatory markers and colorectal cancer risk: A prospective case-cohort study in Japan.

Blood levels of inflammation-related markers may reveal molecular pathways contributing to carcinogenesis. To date, prospective associations with colorectal cancer (CRC) risk have been based on few studies with limited sets of analytes. We conducted a case-cohort study within the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study Cohort II, comparing 457 incident CRC cases during median 18 years follow-up with a random subcohort of 774 individuals. Baseline plasma levels of 62 cytokines, soluble receptors, acute-phase proteins, and growth factor markers were measured using Luminex bead-based assays. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) associating each marker with CRC risk by Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for potential confounders. Subanalyses compared cases by years after blood draw (<5 vs. ≥5) and anatomical subsite (colon vs. rectum). Linear trends in quantiles of four C-C motif ligand (CCL) chemokines, one C-X-C motif ligand (CXCL) chemokine, and a soluble receptor were nominally associated with CRC risk based on ptrend < 0.05, but none met false discovery rate corrected statistical significance. HRs for the 4th vs. 1st quartile were: 1.69 for CCL2/MCP1, 1.61 for soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 2, 1.39 for CCL15/MIP1D, 1.35 for CCL27/CTACK, 0.70 for CXCL6/GCP2 and 0.61 for CCL3/MIP1A. Among cases diagnosed 5+ years after enrollment, CCL2/MCP1, CCL3/MIP1A and CXCL6/GCP2 retained nominal statistical significance. There were no significant differences in associations between colon and rectum. Our findings implicate chemokine alterations in colorectal carcinogenesis, but require replication for confirmation. Noninvasive chemokine assays may have potential application in colorectal cancer screening and etiologic research.

Association of circulating inflammation proteins and gallstone disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Inflammation plays a role in the development of both gallstones and gallbladder cancer; however, few studies have investigated the association of circulating inflammation proteins with risk of gallstones. METHODS: This study measured 13 cytokines (including 10 interleukins [ILs]) that have been associated with cancer in serum samples collected from 150 gallstone patients and 149 population-based controls from Shanghai, China, in 1997-2001. This study estimated the associations of each cytokine, categorized into quartiles and coded as a trend, with risk of gallstones using logistic regression models adjusted for potential confounders. RESULTS: Higher levels of IL-6, IL-10, IL-12 (p70), and IL-13 were associated with increased risk of gallstones (i.e. Ptrend  < 0.003, Bonferroni corrected), with odds ratios (ORs) that ranged from ORhighest quartile [Q4] versus lowest quartile [Q1]  = 3.2 (95% confidence interval: 1.4, 7.5) for IL-13 to ORQ4 versus Q1  = 5.7 (95% confidence interval: 2.5, 13.5) for IL-12 (p70). In a regression model including all four ILs, only IL-12 retained statistical significance (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study found four circulating ILs that were associated with gallstones. Future studies are needed to validate the findings and evaluate the common pathway or mechanism in the development of gallbladder diseases associated with these cytokine signatures.

Industrial hog farming is associated with altered circulating immunological markers.

OBJECTIVES: The previously observed inverse association between hog farming and risk of lung cancer in the Agricultural Health Study (AHS) has been attributed to endotoxin exposure, the levels of which are particularly high in industrial hog confinement facilities. We conducted an investigation to explore the potential biological mechanisms underlying this association, as well as other immunological changes associated with hog farming. METHODS: Serum immune marker levels were measured using a multiplexed bead-based assay in 61 active hog farmers and 61 controls matched on age, phlebotomy date and raising cattle. Both groups comprised non-smoking male AHS participants from Iowa. We compared natural log-transformed marker levels between hog farmers and controls using multivariate linear regression models. RESULTS: Circulating levels of macrophage-derived chemokine (CCL22), a chemokine previously implicated in lung carcinogenesis, were reduced among hog farmers (17% decrease; 95% CI -28% to -4%), in particular for those with the largest operations (>6000 hogs: 26% decrease; 95% CI -39% to -10%; ptrend=0.002). We also found that hog farmers had elevated levels of other immune markers, including macrophage inflammatory protein-3 alpha (MIP-3A/CCL20; 111% increase, 95% CI 19% to 273%), basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2; 93% increase, 95% CI 10% to 240%) and soluble interleukin-4 receptor (12% increase, 95% CI 1% to 25%), with particularly strong associations for MIP-3A/CCL20 and FGF-2 in winter. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide insights into potential immunomodulatory mechanisms through which endotoxin or other exposures associated with hog farming may influence lung cancer risk, and warrant further investigation with more detailed bioaerosol exposure assessment.

A prospective study of immune and inflammation markers and risk of lung cancer among female never smokers in Shanghai.

There is a paucity of data on risk factors for lung cancer among never smokers. Here, we have carried out the first large study of circulating inflammation markers and lung cancer risk among female never smokers in Shanghai. A study of 248 lung cancer cases in female never smokers and 263 controls was nested within the Shanghai Women's Health Study (n = 75221), matched by dates of birth and blood collection (mean follow-up time = 7.5 years). Prediagnostic plasma levels of 65 inflammation markers were measured using a Luminex bead-based assay. Odds ratios (ORs) were estimated with multivariable logistic regression. Nine of 61 evaluable markers were statistically significantly associated with lung cancer risk among never smoking Chinese women (P-trend across categories <0.05). Soluble interleukin-6 receptor [sIL-6R; highest versus lowest category OR = 2.37; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.40-4.02) and chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2/monocyte chemotactic protein 1; (OR = 1.62; 95% CI 0.94-2.80) were associated with an increased risk of lung cancer, whereas interleukin (IL)-21 (OR = 0.53; 95%CI 0.31-0.93), chemokine (C-X3-C motif) ligand 1/fractalkine (OR = 0.54; 95% CI 0.30-0.96), soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (sVEGFR2, OR = 0.45; 95% CI 0.26-0.76), sVEGFR3 (OR = 0.53; 95% CI 0.32-0.90), soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor I (OR = 0.49; 95% CI 0.29-0.83), IL-10 (OR = 0.60; 95% CI 0.34-1.05) and C-reactive protein (OR = 0.63; 95% CI 0.37-1.06) were associated with a decreased risk. sIL-6R remained significantly associated with lung cancer risk >7.5 years prior to diagnosis. Markers involved in various aspects of the immune response were associated with subsequent lung cancer risk, implicating inflammation in the etiology of lung cancer among female never smokers.

Occupational exposure to diesel engine exhaust and alterations in immune/inflammatory markers: a cross-sectional molecular epidemiology study in China.

The relationship between diesel engine exhaust (DEE), a known lung carcinogen, and immune/inflammatory markers that have been prospectively associated with lung cancer risk is not well understood. To provide insight into these associations, we conducted a cross-sectional molecular epidemiology study of 54 males highly occupationally exposed to DEE and 55 unexposed male controls from representative workplaces in China. We measured plasma levels of 64 immune/inflammatory markers in all subjects using Luminex bead-based assays, and compared our findings to those from a nested case-control study of these markers and lung cancer risk, which had been conducted among never-smoking women in Shanghai using the same multiplex panels. Levels of nine markers that were associated with lung cancer risk in the Shanghai study were altered in DEE-exposed workers in the same direction as the lung cancer associations. Among these, associations with the levels of CRP (ß= -0.53; P = 0.01) and CCL15/MIP-1D (ß = 0.20; P = 0.02) were observed in workers exposed to DEE and with increasing elemental carbon exposure levels (Ptrends <0.05) in multivariable linear regression models. Levels of a third marker positively associated with an increased lung cancer risk, CCL2/MCP-1, were higher among DEE-exposed workers compared with controls in never and former smokers, but not in current smokers (Pinteraction = 0.01). The immunological differences in these markers in DEE-exposed workers are consistent with associations observed for lung cancer risk in a prospective study of Chinese women and may provide some insight into the mechanistic processes by which DEE causes lung cancer.

Prediagnostic circulating inflammation markers and endometrial cancer risk in the prostate, lung, colorectal and ovarian cancer (PLCO) screening trial.

Inflammation is proposed to increase risk of developing endometrial cancer, but few prospective epidemiologic studies have investigated the relationship between circulating inflammation markers and endometrial cancer risk. In a nested case-control study within the PLCO Screening Trial we measured serum levels of 64 inflammation-related biomarkers in 284 incident endometrial cancer cases and 284 matched controls. Using multivariable logistic regression inflammation markers were evaluated individually and combined into a cross-validated inflammation score. Of 64 markers, 22 were associated with endometrial cancer risk at p < 0.05 and 17 of 22 markers remained associated after multiple testing corrections. After adjusting for BMI and estradiol, SERPINE1 [quartile(Q)4 vs. Q1 odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI)), p trend = 2.43 (0.94-6.29), 0.03] and VEGFA [2.56 (1.52-4.30), 0.0002] were positively associated with endometrial cancer risk, while CCL3 [0.46 (0.27-0.77), 0.01], IL13 [0.55 (0.33-0.93), 0.01], IL21 [0.52 (0.31-0.87), 0.01], IL1B [0.51 (0.30-0.86), 0.01] and IL23 [0.60 (0.35-1.03), 0.02] were inversely associated with risk. We observed large differences in ORs across BMI-inflammation score categories. Endometrial cancer risk was most pronounced among obese women with the highest inflammation score tertile (T) [10.25 (3.56-29.55) vs. normal BMI/T1]. Several inflammation markers were prospectively associated with endometrial cancer, including adipokines, pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, angiogenic factors and acute phase proteins. Inverse associations with anti-inflammatory markers (IL13, IL21), other inflammation markers/mediators (CCL3, IL1B, IL23), and a robust positive association between VEGFA and endometrial cancer risk were independent of BMI and estradiol, suggesting that these factors may influence risk through other mechanisms.

Impact of freeze-thaw cycles on circulating inflammation marker measurements.

BACKGROUND: Circulating inflammation markers are being increasingly measured in prospective cohorts to investigate cancer etiology. However, it is unclear how the measurements are affected by the freeze-thaw cycles of the specimens prior to marker analysis. METHODS: We compared concentrations of 45 inflammation markers between paired serum vials of 55 participants in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial that have undergone one (T1), two (T2), and three (T3) freeze-thaw cycles at the time of assay. We computed the difference of analyte concentrations across paired vials (T1 vs. T2, T2 vs. T3) and tested whether the difference deviated from zero using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. We also calculated Spearman rank correlation and weighted kappa statistics for T1 vs. T2 and T2 vs. T3 comparisons to assess agreement in rank ordering of subjects. RESULTS: Measurements between paired T1 and T2 samples were largely similar, with the difference not statistically deviating from zero for 36 of the 45 markers. In contrast, tests of the difference between paired T2 and T3 samples were statistically significant for 36 markers. However, the rank ordering of participants by marker concentration remained largely consistent across T2 and T3 samples, with Spearman correlation coefficients >0.8 for 42 markers and weighted kappas >0.7 for 37 markers. CONCLUSION: We recommend that studies measuring inflammation markers use previously unthawed specimens to the extent possible, or match on the number of prior freeze-thaw cycles in nested case-control studies.

Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine Induces HPV-Specific Antibodies in the Oral Cavity: Results From the Mid-Adult Male Vaccine Trial.

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus virus type 16 (HPV-16) and HPV-18 cause a large proportion of oropharyngeal cancers, which are increasing in incidence among males, and vaccine efficacy against oral HPV infections in men has not been previously evaluated. METHODS: Sera and saliva collected in mouthwash and Merocel sponges at day 1 and month 7 were obtained from 150 men aged 27-45 years from Tampa, Florida, and Cuernavaca, Mexico, who received Gardasil at day 1 and months 2 and 6. Specimens were tested for anti-HPV-16 and anti-HPV-18 immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels by an L1 virus-like particle-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: All participants developed detectable serum anti-HPV-16 and anti-HPV-18 antibodies, and most had detectable antibodies in both oral specimen types at month 7 (HPV-16 was detected in 93.2% of mouthwash specimens and 95.7% of sponge specimens; HPV-18 was detected in 72.1% and 65.5%, respectively). Antibody concentrations in saliva were approximately 3 logs lower than in serum. HPV-16- and HPV-18-specific antibody levels, normalized to total IgG levels, in both oral specimen types at month 7 were significantly correlated with serum levels (for HPV-16, ρ was 0.90 for mouthwash specimens and 0.92 for sponge specimens; for HPV-18, ρ was 0.89 and 0.86, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study demonstrating that vaccination of males with Gardasil induces HPV antibody levels at the oral cavity that correlate with circulating levels.

Association of inflammatory and other immune markers with gallbladder cancer: Results from two independent case-control studies.

Most gallbladder cancer (GBC) cases arise in the context of gallstones, which cause inflammation, but few gallstone patients develop GBC. We explored inflammation/immune-related markers measured in bile and serum in GBC cases compared to gallstone patients to better understand how inflammatory patterns in these two conditions differ. We measured 65 immune-related markers in serum and bile from 41 GBC cases and 127 gallstone patients from Shanghai, China, and calculated age- and sex-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for GBC versus gallstones. We then focused on the markers that were significantly elevated in bile and serum to replicate the findings in serum from 35 GBC cases and 31 gallstone controls from Chile. Comparing the highest versus lowest quantile, 15 markers (23%) were elevated in both serum and bile from GBC versus gallstone patients in the Shanghai study (p<0.05). The strongest OR was for CXCL8 (interleukin-8) in serum (96.8, 95% CI: 11.9-790.2). Of these 15 markers, 6 were also significantly elevated in serum from Chile (CCL20, C-reactive protein, CXCL8, CXCL10, resistin, serum amyloid A). Pooled ORs from Shanghai and Chile for these 6 markers ranged from 7.2 (95% CI: 2.8-18.4) for CXCL10 to 58.2 (95% CI: 12.4-273.0) for CXCL8. GBC is associated with inflammation above and beyond that generated by gallstones alone. This local inflammatory process is reflected systemically. Future longitudinal studies are needed to identify the key players in cancer development, which may guide translational efforts to identify individuals at high risk of developing GBC.