title: Reactivity against herpes simplex virus in patients with head and neck cancer.
abstract: The relation between herpes simplex virus (HSV) and head and neck cancer was examined. A total of ninety patients were analyzed for IgG antibodies against HSV. Antibody titers were established with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and antibodies against specific HSV-antigens were analyzed by Western blot. These patients' seroreactivity was compared to that of an age-matched control group of patients with arteriosclerotic disease in their lower limbs, a disease also closely related to heavy tobacco consumption. Prevalence of antibodies against HSV was around 90% and did not differ significantly between cancer patients and controls, but antibody titers against HSV were significantly higher in the cancer patients. The cancer patients also reacted more constantly (80%) in Western blot analysis against the early immediate protein, ICP-4, than controls (50%). This suggests a different course of an earlier herpetic infection in these patients with a prolonged exposure to early immediate HSV-proteins which may be related to an increased risk of developing head and neck cancer. We propose that heavy smoking may contribute to this phenomenon.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Virology, University of Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Edström
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Westin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nordkvist
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hirsch
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vahlne
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000276:immunology*; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008970:Molecular Weight; D012307:Risk Factors; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000276:immunology*; D012907:Smoking; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins