Humoral- and cell-mediated immune responses to herpesvirus antigens in patients with cervical carcinoma

Abstract

The humoral and cellular immune responses were studied in 35 patients with cervical carcinoma (Ca Cx) and 32 healthy controls. Complement fixing (CF) and indirect hemagglutinating antibody (IHA) titers for herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1), herpes simplex type 2 (HSV-2), and cytomegalovirus (CMV), and fluorescent antibody (FA) titers for viral capsid antigen for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) were determined. Cellular immune response was measured by the technique of [ 3H]thymidine uptake by stimulated lymphocytes. Phytohemagglutinin (PHA), HSV-1, HSV-2, and CMV antigens were used as stimulants. CF titers (≥ 1:4) to HSV-1, HSV-2, and CMV were present in 34 ( P < 0.005), 33 ( P < 0.005), and 29 Ca Cx patients and in 22, 20, and 18 controls. IHA titers (≥ 1.8) to HSV-1 and HSV-2 were present in all 35 Ca Cx patients ( P < 0.0001) and only 20 and 19 controls, respectively. IHA titers for CMV and FA titers for EBV were not different in the two study groups. Significantly more Ca Cx patients demonstrated definite prior HSV-2 infection ( P < 0.002). Geometric means of IHA titers were higher for HSV-1 ( P < 0.01) and HSV-2 ( P < 0.005) antigens in Ca Cx patients. Lymphocyte stimulation indices of 3 or greater, indicative of cell-mediated immunity, were found in all 35 Ca Cx patients to HSV-1 ( P < 0.0005), HSV-2 ( P < 0.0002) antigens, and in only 21 and 20 controls, respectively. A significantly increased lymphocyte response to a 1 100 dilution of HSV-2 antigen with other data suggests a difference in past exposure or an altered response of lymphocytes to HSV-2 antigen in Ca Cx patients.