Measurement Of Cytokines In Cervical Fluids

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The relationship between Herpes viruses and neoplasia has been quite well documented although the role played by host factors in this relationship is still unknown. The prime objective of this project to determine whether multi-analyte cytokine profiles measured in cervical specimens, from women infected with oncological types of Human Papillomavirus (HPV), can predict risk of subsequent progression to high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). Using a technique called recycling immunoaffinity chromatography (RIC), examination of cytokine profiles in cervical fluid will be performed to determine which cytokines and other factors appear to be elevated or activated during the neoplastic process. 30 analyte panels will be employed to compare cytokine profiles in samples from women with high-grade CIN to samples from women with oncogenic HPV infection and normal controls. From such studies it is hoped to determine which cytokines or other factors are candidates for predicting neoplastic progression. Once this has been established these markers will be used in a prospective study of HPV and CIN natural history. The initial studies demonstrated the efficacy of the RIC system and have shown that cytokine panels are useful in determining the different patient groups. Further studies have demonstrated the RIC system to be reliable and reproducible. Work is now progressing to apply this analytical system to epidemiological field studies.