rooshvforum.network is a fully functional forum: you can search, register, post new threads etc...
Old accounts are inaccessible: register a new one, or recover it when possible. x


HPV Datasheet
#1

HPV Datasheet

Hi everyone,

I'm a cancer researcher with an interest in head and neck malignancies, which includes human papillomavirus (HPV)-induced tumors. I was exchanging messages with one forum member who had questions about HPV and mouth cancer and he recommended polishing up the discussion a little and posting it on the board as an "HPV datasheet." I hope that's ok- some people may find this interesting but it'll be a little long and dense, so here goes…


HPV DATA SHEET

Basic facts:
1) Some strains of HPV are associated with cervical cancer- Most of you guys know this already. Cervical cancer was long known to be associated with risky sexual behavior in women. Originally, a link with herpes virus was proposed, but a German doctor, Harald Zur Hausen, made the connection between cervical cancer and genital warts (condylomata), which are caused by HPV. He won the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology for his work (http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/m...es/2008/).

2) The oral mucosa is similar clinically and histologically with cervical mucosa- The epithelium that lines the cervix (and that gets infected with HPV) is pretty much identical to oral mucosa (the 'skin' that lines your mouth). They are so similar that once HPV was found to be associated with cervical cancers, people immediately started looking for the virus in mouth cancers. It took a while to prove the association but now it is known that many (but not all) oropharyngeal cancers (cancers of the oropharynx, or 'back' of your mouth (tonsils, soft palate, base of tongue)) are caused by HPV.

3) Oral HPV infection is sexually transmitted- It's not exactly known how HPV infects the back of the mouth. The obvious answer is through oral sex, but men are more prone to develop HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancers than women (and the nature of oral sex for a man is much less traumatic or invasive than for a woman), so 'deep kissing' is also suspected. Transmission by casual, nonsexual contact is not likely [1].

4) HPV-associated cancers of all kinds (cervical, vaginal, vulvar, penile, anal and oropharyngeal) are on the rise- The rate of HPV-associated mouth cancers soon will or already has exceeded that for HPV-negative oral cancers. Many epidemiologists believe that we might be at the beginning of a true global pandemic of HPV-associated cancers (which I'll talk about below) [2, 3].

5) There are vaccines- Once cervical cancers (and now some oral cancers) were shown to be 'infectious', great efforts were made to develop a vaccine. There are a few vaccines currently in use that protect against the most common "high-risk" serotypes (Gardasil, by Merck, and Cervarix, from GlaxoSmithKline) and they have been shown to work.

Those basic facts provide a foundation for discussion. What follows is more specifics involving the virus, how it works, and some epidemiological information regarding its spread.

Background about the HPV family of viruses:
The human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are a family of small double stranded DNA viruses that generally contain only 8 to 10 open reading frames (ORFs, or stretches of DNA that codes for proteins). HPVs show a pronounced tropism for epithelial cells. Over 120 types gave been discovered so far that are grouped into "low-risk" and "high-risk" viruses, with the "risk" being the chance that an infected cell will become cancerous. Infection of skin or mucosa with a low-risk virus will cause a squamous papilloma, or what we call a wart. In normal, healthy, immunocompetent individuals, these generally go away on their own, but it can take a little time. In any event, they don't cause cancer. The most common low-risk subtypes are HPV 6 and 11. High-risk viruses on the other hand, under the proper circumstances and given enough time, can transform an infected cell into cancer.

The mechanism for cellular transformation is well known but a bit technical, and we don't need to get into it here. Basically, a virus, like all other organisms, wants to make copies of itself. Since it only has 8 or 10 genes it can’t do this on its own, so it needs to get inside a host cell and hijack its replicative machinery, or all the myriad of proteins and resources required to copy DNA and assemble new virus particles. It does this by coding for "early" or E genes, which, as the name implies, are turned on early in the infectious process and go to work forcing the infected host cell to divide. E genes are really good at tricking a host into proliferating, even when it's not normally supposed to, by deactivating 'tumor suppressor' proteins, or proteins coded for by the cell that restrict cellular proliferation. Once the tumor suppressors are degraded and neutralized by the viral E proteins (specifically, E6 and E7), the newly proliferating cells make more viruses but also replicate themselves as well, and 'pile up' on top of each other. Clinically, this causes a raised, bumpy hyperplastic patch of epithelium that we call a wart. The virus finishes the job by coding for "late" or "L" gene products that are the structural proteins forming the capsid or 'outside' of the virus. These proteins spontaneously assemble around a core of DNA and new viruses bud off of the infected cell and are shed into the environment.

In low-risk infections, that's pretty much the end of it. If an infection even starts, your immune system (this would be cell-mediated immunity, mostly controlled by T lymphocytes) will go to work trying to destroy all of the infected cells, while the virus struggles to make 'baby viruses' before it is entirely eliminated. However, in high-risk infections it’s a bit more complicated. In a rare event, one that is unfortunate for the host cell but also the virus, the circular viral DNA that normally hangs out in the cytoplasm will instead enter the cell's nucleus, break open, and integrate into the host DNA. I say "unfortunate" for the virus because when this happens it can no longer reproduce. It's unfortunate for the cell because the break occurs in the viral DNA usually at one place- an area that controls or restricts the behavior of E6 and E7. Once that control is lost, E6 and E7 run wild and the main tumor suppressors in the cell have no chance. The cell will divide in a completely uncontrolled manner- i.e., cancer. It has been shown that over expression of high-risk E6 and E7 proteins in an epithelial cell is sufficient to make it immortal (a hallmark of a cancerous cell in the lab) [4]. The mouth squamous cell carcinomas you hear about associated with HPV are due to infection of oral epithelial cells with high-risk strains, which include 16, 18, 31 and 32. HPV 16 is the most common high-risk virus going around the U.S., while other strains are found in different areas of the world.

HPV and oral cancer:
This seems to be the thing giving men here the greatest cause for concern. Firstly, it is sexually transmitted, so any risky behaviors, the more partners you have, and so on, the greater chance of becoming infected. As I mentioned, HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancers are much more common in men than women. It's not really known why, but most researchers in this field think that it's probably because the female immune system is more used to encountering, and fighting off, HPV, due to the traumatic nature of sex for females. Men are a little more 'naive' when it comes to HPV exposure, and therefore slightly more susceptible. Also, the oropharynx is hard to examine, so much like in the cervix, cancers here have time to develop undetected.

HPV-associated mouth cancers affect a slightly younger population than HPV-negative cancers, which are the kind of cancers found in grizzled old people who smoke and drink heavily. It's a different etiology, different patient population, different location (the alcohol and tobacco-induced lesions usually occur on the lateral surface of the tongue and floor of mouth, not the oropharynx) and a different prognosis. HPV-positive cancers grow rapidly and look more aggressive clinically, but respond better to treatment and have a better prognosis compared to the traditional smoking and drinking-induced HPV-negative cancers. Again, the reasons for this are a little technical, but it's likely because the DNA of the cells in HPV-positive cancers isn't really damaged like it is in tobacco and alcohol-induced HPV-negative tumors (tumor suppressors are lost in HPV-positive tumors, but not through mutation, so they're still there and intact, just at really low levels), so the cells respond a little better to treatment.

People on this board have a right to be concerned because HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancers are on the rise. The annual number of HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancers is expected to surpass the annual number of cervical cancers by the year 2020 [3]. In fact, there's evidence that it already has happened. Indeed, many epidemiologists believe that HPV-associated cancers of all kinds (cervical, vaginal, vulvar, penile, anal and oropharyngeal) are increasing due to a true global pandemic of HPV infection. According to an epidemiological study published in 2011, HPV is responsible for 600,000 cancers a year- more than from any other infectious cause (more than Epstein-Barr virus, more than hepatitis viruses, which are known to promote liver cancer), and a number that is growing [5]. HPV is far and away the most common sexually transmitted infection, with over 20 million annual cases worldwide, outnumbering chlamydia and gonorrhea [6]. From 1984 to 2004, HPV prevalence in oropharyngeal cancers increased by about 225% while the incidence for HPV-negative cancers declined by about 50% (because fewer people are smoking nowadays, as per the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) data from the National Cancer Institute). This could be from better detection techniques (maybe a lot of tumors in the past were HPV positive but we didn't have the technology to prove it) but epidemiologists who do this stuff for a living have shown that there's an approximately 3% annual increase in incidence that is NOT related to detection methods. A Swedish researcher published a paper in 2011 where he noted a significant increase in HPV-positive tonsillar and tongue base cancers and assumed, not unreasonably, that what he was detecting was the beginning of an epidemic of oral cancer caused by HPV [2].

The vaccine:
The vaccine was developed by taking one of the "L" genes (the late genes that code for the outer protein coating of the virus), getting a yeast or other host cell to make it in large quantities, and then allowing the capsid to self-assemble into a "viral-like particle", essentially forming what appears to be a virus on the outside, but with no DNA in the center. The immune system sees this, thinks it's an infection, and mounts an immune response that then protects against subsequent 'real' infections. There isn't a ton of data regarding vaccination against HPV because the studies are new and still ongoing, but early results suggest that it works. People who are vaccinated develop antibodies to the covered HPV subtypes (called 'sero-conversion') and exhibit a reduction in the incidence of genital warts (cancer takes years to develop, so wart formation is a good short-term read-out for efficacy). Most early studies center on a clinical trial in Costa Rica, where results have shown protection against infection at vulnerable sites (cervical, anal, and oral mucosa). For example, in one study they found 15 young women to be positive for the presence of HPV in the control group compared to only 1 in the vaccinated group [7]. It's been so effective that about 40 nations now have incorporated the vaccine into their national health programs.

There really is no downside to the vaccine, except that some people believe that if kids are vaccinated against HPV they will engage in more dangerous behaviors thinking that they are protected (the same arguments against providing condoms in schools or clean needles for drug addicts). I do think men benefit from the vaccine- it protects against mucosal warts, oropharyngeal cancers, and penile cancers, with no downside, except for maybe the cost (I don't know if it's expensive or not, or covered by insurance the way other vaccines are). As for the anti-vaccine crowd, that's an entirely different discussion that I'd rather not get into at the moment, because those people don't argue using facts, and therefore there is no way to debate them.

Questions you may have:
A question I often hear is "My girlfriend/wife/partner had an abnormal pap smear. I may have been exposed. Should I get tested?" The answer is no, and I'll explain why. Firstly, there are a lot of causes for abnormal pap smears, not all of them are due to HPV. Second, even if your partner is HPV positive, you would need to know what 'type' you were exposed to. This can be done, but it involves expensive lab tests that aren't routinely performed, and unless you have a wart (evidence of an active, productive infection), the doctor wouldn't know what tissues to examine or biopsy anyway. And simply detecting the presence of a virus doesn’t tell you anything about the nature of the infection- what we would really need to see is the presence of high-risk E6 and E7 proteins in a cell, a much harder proposition. If by some stroke of luck it is determined that yes, you test positive for a high-risk strain, that knowledge is still of little benefit. If you were exposed to a high-risk HPV there is a chance that an infected cell will wind up in a virally 'unproductive' infection that might lead to cancer, but there's no way of knowing, in a healthy individual, if the virus will be cleared, persist, or become cancer, nor can infected epithelium even be identified in the absence of a productive infection. There is no 'pre-malignancy' test, so as of now the motivation to develop cheap accurate HPV tests just isn't there, because we currently do not alter patient management based on that information. Even in a proven, diagnosed HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer, despite the evidence that they have a different clinical course and prognosis, surgeons will still treat it like a 'conventional' alcohol and tobacco-induced cancer (though this may soon change).

I hope that helps to clear up any misconceptions. Feel free to respond or PM me if you have any other questions.


1.Gillison ML, Broutian T, Pickard RK, Tong ZY, Xiao W, Kahle L, et al. Prevalence of oral HPV infection in the United States, 2009-2010. JAMA 2012; 307:693-703.
2.Ramqvist TDalianis T. An epidemic of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) due to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and aspects of treatment and prevention. Anticancer Res 2011; 31:1515-9.
3.Chaturvedi AK, Engels EA, Pfeiffer RM, Hernandez BY, Xiao W, Kim E, et al. Human papillomavirus and rising oropharyngeal cancer incidence in the United States. J Clin Oncol 2011; 29:4294-301.
4.Munger K, Phelps WC, Bubb V, Howley PMSchlegel R. The E6 and E7 genes of the human papillomavirus type 16 together are necessary and sufficient for transformation of primary human keratinocytes. J Virol 1989; 63:4417-21.
5.Tota JE, Chevarie-Davis M, Richardson LA, Devries MFranco EL. Epidemiology and burden of HPV infection and related diseases: implications for prevention strategies. Prev Med 2011; 53 Suppl 1:S12-21.
6.Schiffman M, Castle PE, Jeronimo J, Rodriguez ACWacholder S. Human papillomavirus and cervical cancer. Lancet 2007; 370:890-907.
7.Herrero R, Quint W, Hildesheim A, Gonzalez P, Struijk L, Katki HA, et al. Reduced prevalence of oral human papillomavirus (HPV) 4 years after bivalent HPV vaccination in a randomized clinical trial in Costa Rica. PLoS One 2013; 8:e68329.
Reply
#2

HPV Datasheet

Great post and appreciate the effort.

However, a breakdown of the comparative risks would be nice.

E.g.

Lifetime risk of man without HPV getting head or neck cancer - X out of 100

Lifetime risk of man with a high-risk HPV strain getting head or neck cancer - Y out of 100.

And also ideally, risk of contracting a high-risk HPV strain "per oral encounter".

That's what it boils down to and that's what matters... right? That would be actionable information that guys can use to make judgement calls. Is there bottom-line data like that?
Reply
#3

HPV Datasheet

I was strongly considering getting a Gardasil vaccination a while ago but where I am it cost $500 and only females are convered with it... I'll look into it again. Thanks
Reply
#4

HPV Datasheet

Great Data Sheet Stirfry!

I really like that you cited your information sources.
Reply
#5

HPV Datasheet

Quote: (08-24-2016 02:51 PM)RichieP Wrote:  

Great post and appreciate the effort.

However, a breakdown of the comparative risks would be nice.

E.g.

Lifetime risk of man without HPV getting head or neck cancer - X out of 100

Lifetime risk of man with a high-risk HPV strain getting head or neck cancer - Y out of 100.

And also ideally, risk of contracting a high-risk HPV strain "per oral encounter".

That's what it boils down to and that's what matters... right? That would be actionable information that guys can use to make judgement calls. Is there bottom-line data like that?

Hmmm… Those are tough questions to answer, because as with other public health issues there are sort of grey areas, but it's even more problematic in HPV. I didn't get into it in the original datasheet, but how samples are collected, and the tests used to detect the presence of the virus all very significantly influence whether or not you get a positive or negative test, which is why the statistics vary so widely in HPV. Also, not much is known about the progression of an infected cell to cancer (the mechanism is well known, but the process can take years). My hope was to educate people on HPV, more than give you a 'percentage chance' of catching it or developing cancer. However, here are some statistics that might help a little:

About 75% of everyone who has sex will get an HPV infection [1]. As I mentioned earlier, not everyone will clinically show evidence of this infection, and most people will just clear the virus through a normal immune response. The prevalence of genital HPV infection (both low- and high-risk viruses) in women varies widely depending on the study, but is probably around 12%, depending on age (there's a bimodal distribution- young people first exposed to the virus and older people who are slightly immunosuppressed) and location (higher in Africa and Latin America, lower in Europe, North America, and Asia). These numbers are also difficult to confirm because some subjects in these studies have co-infections with multiple types. For men, estimates vary from 2% to 93%, so it's not a helpful statistic [2]. Anal HPV is also common, with 57% of homosexual men and 10% of heterosexual men demonstrating infection [3, 4]. As for oral HPV, statistics also vary. When sampling patients recruited from a STD clinic, the incidence rate observed was 16.5 infections per 1000 person-months, whereas for college students it was closer to 5.6 infections per 1000 person-months [5].

Finally, a newly released study has shown that oral infections with HPV16, a high-risk type that could lead to oropharyngeal cancer, is much higher in men than women, particularly for men who recently reported performing cunnilingus (hazard ratios
of 3.15 for men vs 0.66 for women). Interestingly, they also show that for oral HPV16 infections, the median time to clearance was higher among men than among women (7.5 vs 3.5 months), which is probably another manifestation of females building immunity to the virus through exposure [5].

1.Baseman JG, Koutsky LA. The epidemiology of human papillomavirus infections. J Clin Virol 2005; 32 Suppl 1:S16-24.
2.Smith JS, Gilbert PA, Melendy A, Rana RK, Pimenta JM. Age-specific prevalence of human papillomavirus infection in males: a global review. J Adolesc Health 2011; 48:540-52.
3.Chin-Hong PV, Vittinghoff E, Cranston RD, Buchbinder S, Cohen D, Colfax G, et al. Age-Specific prevalence of anal human papillomavirus infection in HIV-negative sexually active men who have sex with men: the EXPLORE study. J Infect Dis 2004; 190:2070-6.
4.Vardas E, Giuliano AR, Goldstone S, Palefsky JM, Moreira ED, Jr., Penny ME, et al. External genital human papillomavirus prevalence and associated factors among heterosexual men on 5 continents. J Infect Dis 2011; 203:58-65.
5.D'Souza G, Wentz A, Kluz N, Zhang Y, Sugar E, Youngfellow RM, et al. Sex Differences in Risk Factors and Natural History of Oral Human Papillomavirus Infection. J Infect Dis 2016; 213:1893-6.
Reply
#6

HPV Datasheet

So what are your choices?

1) live celibate? Stay a virgin and find a virgin?

2) get the vaccines, if you're into that sort of thing?

2) assume you have HPV, and everyone you interact with has HPV, and there's really nothing you can do, so why try to avoid it?

3) no kissing, and no going down?

I guess to avoid HPV you have to avoid the human experience.
Reply
#7

HPV Datasheet

Number 2
Reply
#8

HPV Datasheet

Quote: (08-29-2016 04:54 AM)frozen-ace Wrote:  

So what are your choices?

1) live celibate? Stay a virgin and find a virgin?

2) get the vaccines, if you're into that sort of thing?

2) assume you have HPV, and everyone you interact with has HPV, and there's really nothing you can do, so why try to avoid it?

3) no kissing, and no going down?

I guess to avoid HPV you have to avoid the human experience.

At this point, probably a combination of the second and third choices, with some condom use thrown in for good measure.
Reply
#9

HPV Datasheet

Green tea might keep it at bay:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4010481/
Reply
#10

HPV Datasheet

I also looked into Gardasil but was told I was too old (only licensed for men under 26). Couldn't even get it if I paid out of pocket. Why is this?
Reply
#11

HPV Datasheet

Huh. That's not fair.

It's probably because they *assume* one has already had lots of sex by then.

If only you knew how bad things really are.
Reply
#12

HPV Datasheet

Most likely because risks start to drop off after 26 per the below...you either have HPV already, are in a commited relationship...or aren't getting laid to begin with.

Wikipedia :

Merck was denied FDA approval to market Gardasil to women aged 27 to 45. Although it was found to be safe and effective in the prevention of genital warts, it was not effective in the prevention of cervical cancer in that age group.[20] This is because HPV rates rise quickly during teenage years and early twenties, but the chances decrease as people reach ages past their early twenties.[medical citation needed]

Gardasil vaccine has been shown to significantly decrease the risk of young men contracting genital warts.[28] In the United States the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved administration of the vaccine to males between ages 9 and 26 in October 2009.[29][30] In the UK, HPV vaccines are licensed for males aged 9 to 15 and for females aged 9 to 26.[31]

Data Sheet Maps | On Musical Chicks | Rep Point Changes | Au Pairs on a Boat
Captainstabbin: "girls get more attractive with your dick in their mouth. It's science."
Spaniard88: "The "believe anything" crew contributes: "She's probably a good girl, maybe she lost her virginity to someone with AIDS and only had sex once before you met her...give her a chance.""
Reply
#13

HPV Datasheet

Quote: (09-01-2016 01:05 PM)polar Wrote:  

Most likely because risks start to drop off after 26 per the below...you either have HPV already, are in a commited relationship...or aren't getting laid to begin with.

Wikipedia :

Merck was denied FDA approval to market Gardasil to women aged 27 to 45. Although it was found to be safe and effective in the prevention of genital warts, it was not effective in the prevention of cervical cancer in that age group.[20] This is because HPV rates rise quickly during teenage years and early twenties, but the chances decrease as people reach ages past their early twenties.[medical citation needed]

Gardasil vaccine has been shown to significantly decrease the risk of young men contracting genital warts.[28] In the United States the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved administration of the vaccine to males between ages 9 and 26 in October 2009.[29][30] In the UK, HPV vaccines are licensed for males aged 9 to 15 and for females aged 9 to 26.[31]

Doesn't make sense to me. Good chance I've already contracted it, but a vaccine would assure I don't contract any other strains, stop me from getting warts, and stop me from giving it to any of the young hotties I hook up with. Assuming it's safe for a man my age, and I'm willing to pay for it, seems like only a positive to let me have it. Dorks.
Reply
#14

HPV Datasheet

Quote: (09-01-2016 01:05 PM)polar Wrote:  

Most likely because risks start to drop off after 26 per the below...you either have HPV already, are in a commited relationship...or aren't getting laid to begin with.

Wikipedia :

Merck was denied FDA approval to market Gardasil to women aged 27 to 45. Although it was found to be safe and effective in the prevention of genital warts, it was not effective in the prevention of cervical cancer in that age group.[20] This is because HPV rates rise quickly during teenage years and early twenties, but the chances decrease as people reach ages past their early twenties.[medical citation needed]

Gardasil vaccine has been shown to significantly decrease the risk of young men contracting genital warts.[28] In the United States the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved administration of the vaccine to males between ages 9 and 26 in October 2009.[29][30] In the UK, HPV vaccines are licensed for males aged 9 to 15 and for females aged 9 to 26.[31]

The problem is that there's a second peak of incidence later in life, either a re-emergence of prior infections or new exposure (probably coupled with decreased immunity that comes with age), so I don't see why they wouldn't encourage vaccination later in life.
Reply
#15

HPV Datasheet

Sorry to belabor a point but we really need data on the actual before-and-after lifetime risks of cancer from contracting high-risk HPV.

By how much does it increase the risk, and what was the risk before? This is the only thing that matters IMO. There must be some estimates on that given how much attention it's getting, and the fact that they can already say HPV causes 70% of oral cancers.
Reply
#16

HPV Datasheet

What if you already contracted HPV? Would getting the vaccine still make sense? Or is the vaccine only a preventative measure and not something that would help the immune system eradicate any rogue oral cancer cells.
Reply
#17

HPV Datasheet

The vaccine is done with three separate shots over the course of several months (6 months I think). I go in for my second shot in a few days.

Hopefully I don't get autism.
Reply
#18

HPV Datasheet

Quote: (01-03-2017 03:18 PM)Laurifer Wrote:  

The vaccine is done with three separate shots over the course of several months (6 months I think). I go in for my second shot in a few days.

Hopefully I don't get autism.

Yes, but are you taking it for a preventative measure or to help combat an HPV infection you've already caught?
Reply
#19

HPV Datasheet

OP,Can you explain if it is possible that an HPV infection can be spread by "skin to skin" rubbing, even the part where the condom doesn't cover the penis and pubic area? Or if a woman's breasts touch the penis?

There are conflicting reports that HPV is very easy to transmit, while some doctors claim that HPV is only caused by unprotected oral/vaginal sex (sorry don't do any anal on a woman though a bleached woman's anus looks tempting).
Reply
#20

HPV Datasheet

Hi,

I had the new Gardasil 9 vaccine in the UK. I had this done privately - 3 injections over 6 months. It is supposed to protect you for life with no boosters. I am over 35 but the private clinic were fine to do it for me.
Reply
#21

HPV Datasheet

Quote: (01-03-2017 02:59 PM)PUA_Rachacha Wrote:  

What if you already contracted HPV? Would getting the vaccine still make sense? Or is the vaccine only a preventative measure and not something that would help the immune system eradicate any rogue oral cancer cells.

There was a study recently that suggested that even if you were previously infected with HPV but your immune system has fought off the virus, getting the vaccine can make you immune. Also, maybe you had one type of HPV before and even if the vaccine doesn't make you immune to that then there are many other types that it will make you immune to.
Reply
#22

HPV Datasheet

Quote: (01-03-2017 02:59 PM)PUA_Rachacha Wrote:  

What if you already contracted HPV? Would getting the vaccine still make sense? Or is the vaccine only a preventative measure and not something that would help the immune system eradicate any rogue oral cancer cells.

There was a study recently that suggested that even if you were previously infected with HPV but your immune system has fought off the virus, getting the vaccine can make you immune. Also, maybe you had one type of HPV before and even if the vaccine doesn't make you immune to that then there are many other types that it will make you immune to.
Reply
#23

HPV Datasheet

Quote: (07-24-2017 11:57 PM)the-dream Wrote:  

Quote: (01-03-2017 02:59 PM)PUA_Rachacha Wrote:  

What if you already contracted HPV? Would getting the vaccine still make sense? Or is the vaccine only a preventative measure and not something that would help the immune system eradicate any rogue oral cancer cells.

There was a study recently that suggested that even if you were previously infected with HPV but your immune system has fought off the virus, getting the vaccine can make you immune. Also, maybe you had one type of HPV before and even if the vaccine doesn't make you immune to that then there are many other types that it will make you immune to.

Can you link to that? It's been a while since my last biology class, but once you have the antibodies from fighting something off, don't you keep the antibodies for X amount of time/forever?

If you are going to impose your will on the world, you must have control over what you believe.

Data Sheet Minneapolis / Data Sheet St. Paul / Data Sheet Northern MN/BWCA / Data Sheet Duluth
Reply
#24

HPV Datasheet

Quote: (07-25-2017 01:00 AM)Alpharius Wrote:  

Quote: (07-24-2017 11:57 PM)the-dream Wrote:  

Quote: (01-03-2017 02:59 PM)PUA_Rachacha Wrote:  

What if you already contracted HPV? Would getting the vaccine still make sense? Or is the vaccine only a preventative measure and not something that would help the immune system eradicate any rogue oral cancer cells.

There was a study recently that suggested that even if you were previously infected with HPV but your immune system has fought off the virus, getting the vaccine can make you immune. Also, maybe you had one type of HPV before and even if the vaccine doesn't make you immune to that then there are many other types that it will make you immune to.

Can you link to that? It's been a while since my last biology class, but once you have the antibodies from fighting something off, don't you keep the antibodies for X amount of time/forever?

There are multiple types of antibodies.

For long-term immunity, you need a type of antibody called immunoglobulin M (IgM).

IgM levels tend to taper off over the course of months/years, depending on how strong the initial infection/vaccine reaction was.

You can encourage the body to develop chronic/lifelong immunity by throwing more infection/vaccine at it, causing the body to switch IgM production from month-long to life-long.

How many stimulus events required depend on the strength of the vaccine/infection and whether the human body, from an evolutionary perspective, prioritizes that specific organism.

For example, if you get severe chicken pox as a kid, then 90% of the time you will have lifelong immunity even though it was only a once-off stimulus (that said, the Chicken Pox virus infection is a lifelong infection, it's just that the virus becomes dormant, so there is always a bit of virus around to stimulate the immune system, which is probably why IgM levels never fall down).

On the other hand, the human body doesn't really care much about HPV, so it seems that you need 3 shots of the vaccine before the body finally gets the message. Even so, the HPV vaccine is too new for us to know if it really gives lifelong immunity.
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)