ANTIBODIES TO TYPE 1 AND TYPE 2 HERPES VIRUS IN WOMEN WITH ABNORMAL CERVICAL CYTOLOGY

Abstract

Summary The sera of 335 women with normal and abnormal cervical cytology have been tested for neutralizing antibodies to type 1 and type 2 herpes virus. There were no significant differences between the mean k ‐values of any of the groups of patients against type 1 herpes virus. With type 2 virus, patients with histological evidence of cervical disease had significantly higher mean k ‐values than both the control gynaecological group and the control group of patients with genital carcinoma of other sites. This difference was independent of age and socio‐economic class. For patients with carcinoma in situ some preliminary evidence is presented suggesting that surgical conization of cervix results in a decline in type 2 herpes virus neutralizing antibody activity.