Humoral and cellular immune response in HPV vaccination

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) infect skin or mucosal epithelia causing warts and dysplasia. Infections with certain high-risk HPV types in the anogenital tract can lead to malignant transformation. Cervical cancer is the second most common malignant disease in young women responsible for 275000 deaths annually worldwide. More than 50% of sexually active people acquire HPV infections over their lifetime. Around 80% of infections remain subclinical and are cleared by the immune system. Recently prophylactic vaccines against the two most common high-risk types HPV16 and 18, and additionally low-risk types HPV6 and 11, respectively, have become available. We present an overview concerning recent knowledge on natural and vaccine-induced immunity against HPV infections.