IMMUNOLOGICAL DISORDER AGAINST THE EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS INFECTION AND PROGNOSIS IN PATIENTS WITH CERVICAL-CARCINOMA

Epstein-Barr virus antigen-specific killer T cell (EBV-KT) activity an d Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) shedding at uterine cenix and oropharynx we re examined in patients with cervical carcinoma. EBV-KT activity was d etermined by a modified EBV-induced B cell focus regression assay. EBV shedding was examined by infectivity assay. EBV-KT activity in the pa tients was decreased significantly compared with that of controls (P < 0.001) and became increasingly lower as the clinical stage of the dis ease advanced. EBV-KT activity was changed by treatment, and decreased EBV-KT activity after treatment was clearly related to patient surviv al. EBV shedding at oropharynx and uterine cervix were also higher in the patients than in the controls (P < 0.01 and < 0.05). These results suggest that EBV-KT activity is closely associated with the prognosis in patients with cervical carcinoma and that it may be a useful param eter in monitoring the cell-mediated immunity of patients with cervica l carcinoma. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.