Carotenoids Linked to Clearance of Early HPV Infection

HONOLULU—Greater serum levels of micronutrients appear to aid in the clearance of human papillomavirus (HPV) from the cervix (Cancer Res. 67, 12:5987-96, 2007). Researchers 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. Higher circulating levels of transzeaxanthin, 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.