Viral-specific humoral immunity to herpes simplex-induced antigens in patients with squamous carcinoma of the head and neck.

Serum antibodies to herpes simplex virus-induced antigens (HSVIA) were quantitated in 122 patients with head and neck squamous carcinoma, 93 patients tumor-free after treatment for these malignant lesions, 27 patients with nonsquamous malignant lesions, 30 heavy smokers, and 36 nonsmokers. Serum IgA anti-HSVIA antibodies were detected in a greater percentage of sera of patients with squamous carcinoma (61 per cent), patients previously treated for these malignant lesions (56 per cent), and heavy smokers (57 per cent) than in patients with nonsquamous malignant lesions (11 per cent) or nonsmokers (8 per cent). Furthermore, titers of these antibodies were higher in patients with squamous carcinoma than in smokers. In patients tumor-free more than three years after treatment, the percentage of positive sera was significantly lower than that in untreated patients and in patients three years or less after treatment. This study demonstrates for the first time a high frequency of antibodies to HSV-induced antigens confined to subjects at high risk of developing head and neck squamous carcinoma and in patients with these malignancies as well as a correlation between the levels of these antibodies and clinical course after treatment.