Carotenoids Aid in Clearance of HPV Infection

HONOLULUGreater serum levels of micronutrients appear to aid in clearance of human papillomavirus (HPV) from the cervix (Cancer Res. 2007 Jun 6;67(12):5987-96) (DOI:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-07-0313). Researchers from several Hawaiian organizations, including the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii and University of Hawaii, established a cohort of 122 women for long-term follow-up to examine the association of serum retinol, carotenoid and tocopherol concentrations with clearance of incident cervical HPV infection. Interviews and biological specimens were obtained at baseline and at four-month intervals, and a Cox proportional hazards model used to study the relationship between clearance of 189 incident (type-specific) oncogenic HPV infections and levels of 20 serum micronutrients. Higher circulating levels of trans-zeaxanthin, total trans-lutein/zeaxanthin, cryptoxanthin (total and beta-), total trans-lycopene and cis-lycopene, carotene (alpha-, beta- and total), total carotenoids, and alpha- and total tocopherol were associated with a significant decrease in the clearance time of type-specific HPV infection, particularly during the first 120 days of infection. Circulating levels of carotenoids or tocopherols were not associated with clearance of persistent HPV infections, lasting more than 120 days.