The immune checkpoint molecule B7-H4 is highly expressed in various types of cancer, but little is known about its role in the development of cervical lesions associated with human papilloma virus (HPV). This study aimed to investigate the role of B7-H4 in cervical lesion progression and the relationship between B7-H4 and HPV infection. This was a retrospective study of tissue samples from 30 patients with cervical cancer, 28 with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), and 75 with cervical inflammatory lesions. Serum-soluble B7-H4 (sB7-H4) was assessed by ELISA. Tissue B7-H4 expression was measured by RT-PCR and immunochemistry. Expression of B7-H4 in dendritic cells was assessed by flow cytometry. sB7H4 increased gradually from the patients with cervical inflammation to patients with cervical cancer and decreased after treatment. sB7-H4 had a diagnostic value in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.8929) and cervical cancer (AUC = 0.9545). B7-H4 expression in inflammatory cervical tissue and peripheral blood dendritic cells (DCs) increased gradually from inflammation to cancer (P < 0.001). sB7-H4 was positively associated with B7-H4 expression in cervical tissue and DCs and with the frequency of CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ regulatory T cells (P < 0.001). The level of sB7-H4, and tissue and DC B7-H4 expression were associated with HPV infection (P < 0.001). These data strongly support the use of sB7-H4 for monitoring the progression of cervical cancer associated with HPV, and for evaluating the immune status of the patients.

中文翻译：

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B7-H4在人乳头瘤病毒感染后宫颈炎症发展和预后中的作用。

免疫检查点分子B7-H4在各种类型的癌症中高度表达，但对于其在与人乳头瘤病毒（HPV）相关的宫颈病变发展中的作用知之甚少。本研究旨在探讨B7-H4在宫颈病变进展中的作用以及B7-H4与HPV感染之间的关系。这是一项对30例宫颈癌，28例宫颈上皮内瘤变（CIN）和75例宫颈炎性病变患者的组织样本的回顾性研究。通过ELISA评估血清可溶性B7-H4（sB7-H4）。通过RT-PCR和免疫化学测量组织B7-H4表达。通过流式细胞术评估树突状细胞中B7-H4的表达。sB7H4从宫颈发炎的患者逐渐增加到宫颈癌的患者，治疗后有所下降。P < 0.001）。sB7-H4与宫颈组织和DC中的B7-H4表达以及CD4 ⁺ CD25 ⁺ Foxp3 ⁺调节性T细胞的频率呈正相关（P < 0.001）。sB7-H4的水平，组织和DC B7-H4的表达与HPV感染有关（P < 0.001）。这些数据强烈支持sB7-H4用于监测与HPV相关的子宫颈癌的进展以及评估患者的免疫状态。