Immunological disorder against the Epstein-Barr virus infection and prognosis in patients with cervical carcinoma.

Epstein-Barr virus antigen-specific killer T cell (EBV-KT) activity and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) shedding at uterine cervix and oropharynx were examined in patients with cervical carcinoma. EBV-KT activity was determined by a modified EBV-induced B cell focus regression assay. EBV shedding was examined by infectivity assay. EBV-KT activity in the patients was decreased significantly compared with that of controls (P < 0.001) and became increasingly lower as the clinical stage of the disease advanced. EBV-KT activity was changed by treatment, and decreased EBV-KT activity after treatment was clearly related to patient survival. EBV shedding at oropharynx and uterine cervix were also higher in the patients than in the controls (P < 0.01 and < 0.05). These results suggest that EBV-KT activity is closely associated with the prognosis in patients with cervical carcinoma and that it may be a useful parameter in monitoring the cell-mediated immunity of patients with cervical carcinoma.