Herpesvirus type 2-related antigens and their relevance to humoral and cell-mediated immunity in patients with cervical cancer.

The central theme of this communication is the interaction of herpes simplex virus type 2 with its host. In addition to the productive infection, we are confronted by latency and, as suggested by recent studies, by cancer. The possible mechanisms of latency and the role it may play as a precursor of carcinogenesis are discussed. If virus is to coexist with its host, a defined level of molecular interaction between host and viral gene products must exist. The association of AG-4 with active tumor growth and its identification as a minor virion protein, also exposed on the surface of the infected cell, open new vistas in the understanding of the role virus-host cell interactions may play in tumor growth. The modulation of the host immune response by the results of this interaction may play a significant role in cancer control. In these terms, the observation that antibody to AG-4 is a macroglobulin and that, therefore, immunity to AG-4 may be T-cell independent, should be given further consideration.