Christen, Jennifer Blain

Abstract Background: HPV16 (human papillomavirus) is a leading cause of oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) in the US. Antibodies to HPV16 early antigens are detectable in serum samples up to two decades before diagnosis and are potential biomarkers for early detection. In this study, we have developed and compared three custom HPV16 serology platforms for detection of OPC: MSD (Meso Scale Discovery) electrochemiluminescent detection, RAPID ELISA, and a novel semi-quantitative lateral flow assay (LFA) using a custom android application. Methods: For the MSD platform, recombinant HPV 16 antigens (E1, E2, E6, E7) were synthesized in mammalian cells and printed on multiplexed arrays. In RAPID ELISA, GST-tagged antigens (E1, E2, E6, E7) were expressed using mammalian in vitro transcription and translation and bound IgG detected. For the LFA, His-tagged recombinant proteins (HPV16 CE2 184-365aa and HPV16 E7) were synthesized, printed, and antibodies detected with protein G conjugated nanoparticles. Archived serum samples drawn from newly-diagnosed OPC patients (n = 60), with matching saliva samples (n=54, MSD assay only) were obtained from Mayo Clinic. Unmatched controls (n = 46) were obtained from AT Still. For the lateral flow assay, colorimetric image analysis was done using a titration curve of known concentration of monoclonal antibody. We optimized the biomarker panel (E2, E6, and E7 for MSD and ELISA, and for LFA E2, and E7) by using multiparametric analysis and plotting the receiver operating curves to the test performance, and assays were compared using the Cohen’s kappa statistic. Results: At 98% specificity, the MSD HPV16 serologic assay achieved 88% sensitivity, similar to RAPID ELISA, and the LFA assay at 85% sensitivity. The signal intensities for saliva samples were weaker at 24% sensitivity. The Cohen’s kappa value ranged from 0.74 to 0.78 for the comparison between all three assays. There was only one sample among all the cases that was negative by all three serology tests. Conclusion: All three assays have strong concordance for the detection of HPV16 early antigen serology. All the tests can facilitate large scale HPV serology research. Citation Format: Akshansh Kaushik, David Routman, Tej Patel, Joshua Eger, Padhmavathy Yuvaraj, Kathleen R. Bartemes, Marisa D. Griesel, Danielle E. Hunter, Katie Van Abel, Anu Mathew, Mingyue Wang, Leonid Dzantiev, Martin Stengelin, Jacob N. Wohlstadter, Ann Spolarich, Kristina R. Dahlstrom, Jennifer Blain Christen, Erich Sturgis, Karen Anderson. HPV serology for rapid detection of HPV positive oropharyngeal cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2026; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2026 Apr 17-22; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2026;86(7 Suppl):Abstract nr 5099.