[Seroepidemiological studies related to the association of genital herpes to cervical cancer (author's transl)].

Blood sera of 290 patients were examined for the presence of antibodies against herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2): 1. lues - seronegative individuals, 2. patients with specific lues antibodies, and 3. patients with so-called carcinoma in situ and invasive carcinoma of the uterine cervix. The group of syphilis-seropositive individuals served as control for the group with cervical lesions, because in both groups certain socioepidemiologic factors (promiscuity, early sexual intercourse) appear to be prevalent. The average value for HSV-2-antibodies was significantly higher in patients with cervical lesions than that in lues-seropositive individuals. Also, the average value was higher in the lues-seropositive group than that in the lues-seronegative group. The frequency of HSV-2-antibodies was highest in the group of patients with so-called carcinoma in situ and invasive carcinoma, less in the lues-seropositive group, and even more less in the lues-seronegative group. These results make it unlikely that the connection between cervical carcinoma and HSV-2-infection is a common or "nonsense"-correlation. They suggest a more narrow correlation between both diseases, but leave open whether it consists of either a causal relationship between herpes infection and the development of cervical carcinoma, or a predilection for herpes infection in the cervical region by the carcinomatous tissue.