Antibodies to herpesviruses in patients with cervical cancer and controls

The indirect immunofluorescent test was used to detect antibodies to herpesviruses types 1 and 2, cytomegalovirus and EBV in sera from patients with cervical carcinoma, condyloma acuminatum and controls from Cali, Colombia, and a control group from the USA. No significant differences were found in the prevalence of antibodies to viral capsid antigens of HSV-1 and CMV among the groups studied. However, titres for HSV-2 were higher in the three groups from Cali (cervical carcinoma, condyloma and controls) than in the control groups from USA. High EBV antibody titres (VCA and early antigens) were found in the three groups from Cali. Antibodies to early antigens of CMV were detected in a sub-sample of the subjects and with higher frequency in patients with cervical cancer. The significance of these findings is discussed.