A Controlled Trial of
a Human Papillomavirus Type 16 Vaccine
Laura A. Koutsky, Ph.D., Kevin A. Ault, M.D., Cosette M.
Wheeler, Ph.D., Darron R. Brown, M.D., Eliav Barr, M.D., Frances B. Alvarez,
R.N., Lisa M. Chiacchierini, Ph.D., Kathrin U. Jansen, Ph.D., for the Proof of
Principle Study Investigators
Methods In this double-blind study, we randomly assigned 2392young women (defined as females 16 to 23 years of age) to receivethree doses of placebo or HPV-16 virus-likeparticle vaccine
(40 µg per dose), given at day 0, month 2, and month 6.Genital
samples to test for HPV-16 DNA were obtained at enrollment,one month
after the third vaccination, and every six monthsthereafter. Women
were referred for colposcopy according toa protocol. Biopsy tissue
was evaluated for cervical intraepithelialneoplasia and analyzed for
HPV-16 DNA with use of the polymerasechain reaction. The primary end
point was persistent HPV-16infection, defined as the detection of
HPV-16 DNA in samplesobtained at two or more visits. The primary
analysis was limitedto women who were negative for HPV-16 DNA and
HPV-16 antibodiesat enrollment and HPV-16 DNA at month 7.
Results The women were followed for a median of 17.4 months
after completing the vaccination regimen. The incidence of persistent
HPV-16 infection was 3.8 per 100 woman-years at risk in theplacebo
group and 0 per 100 woman-years at risk in the vaccinegroup (100
percent efficacy; 95 percent confidence interval,90 to 100;
P<0.001). All nine cases of HPV-16relatedcervical intraepithelial
neoplasia occurred among the placeborecipients.
Conclusions Administration of this HPV-16 vaccine reduced theincidence of both HPV-16 infection and HPV-16relatedcervical
intraepithelial neoplasia. Immunizing HPV-16negativewomen may
eventually reduce the incidence of cervical cancer.
Source Information
From the Department of Epidemiology, University of
Washington, Seattle (L.A.K.); the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
University of Iowa, Iowa City (K.A.A.); the Department of Molecular Genetics and
Microbiology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque (C.M.W.); the Department of
Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis (D.R.B.);
Biologics Clinical Research (E.B., F.B.A.) and the Department of Biostatistics (L.M.C.),
Merck Research Laboratories, Blue Bell, Pa.; and the Department of Virus and
Cell Biology, Merck Research Laboratories, West Point, Pa. (K.U.J.).
Address reprint requests to Dr. Koutsky at the HPV Research
Group, 1914 N. 34th St., Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98103, or at
kouts@u.washington.edu.
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