Serological and epidemiological considerations of the role of herpes simplex virus type 2 in cervical cancer.

To assess the possible biological significance of the observations that women with cervical cancer tend to be younger at first intercourse than control women, data from 1823 women were analyzed for the relationship between age at 1st intercourse and number of sex partners. Women who were younger at first intercourse had more sex partners than did women who were older at first intercourse. The interdependence of age at first intercourse and number of sex partners does not exlude the possibility that intercourse at an early age represents a biologically significant event in which the neoplastic process is initiated. However, it is equally possible that younger women at first intercourse may have multiple sex partners and be at greater risk of coming in contact with a putative oncogenic agent later in life. In addition, sera from patients with herpesvirus infections were assayed for cross-reacting and type-specific antibodies. Approximately 80% of the total antibody activity was to the cross-reacting antigen and only 20% was to the type-specific antigens in the sera of patients infected with either type 1 or type 2 virus. Among patients infected with both types of virus, less antibody activity to the type-specific antigens and more antibody activity to the cross-reacting antigens were found. These observations are discussed with respect to case-control seroepidemiological studies.