SERUM ANTIBODIES TO TRICHOMONAS-VAGINALIS IN INVASIVE CERVICAL-CANCERPATIENTS

Objective-To evaluate, by seroepidemiology, the possible role of the s exually-transmitted flagellate, Trichomonas vaginalis, in invasive cer vical cancer. Subjects and method-Sera from 121 invasive cervical canc er patients and 242 random age-matched female controls, Antibodies to T. vaginalis were detected by the western blot technique. Results-Anti bodies to T. vaginalis were detected in the sera of 41.3% (50/121) of invasive cervical cancer patients compared with only 5.0% (12/242) of female controls. All the reactive sera reacted strongly with the immun ogenic surface membrane proteins of T. vaginalis of molecular weights of about 92 and 115 kDa, with variable reactivity to other immunogenic proteins of T. vaginalis. Conclusion-The significantly increased rela tive risk, RR = 3.42 (95% CI = 1.73-6.78), is comparable to the RRs de rived in seroepidemiological studies of human papillomavirus, suggesti ng that T. vaginalis may be even more closely associated with invasive cervical cancer than previously realized.