ANTIBODY TO A MUTAGENIC PEPTIDE OF HERPES-SIMPLEX VIRUS IN YOUNG-ADULT PATIENTS WITH CANCER OF THE HEAD AND NECK

Cancer of the head and neck has been associated with herpes simplex vi rus type-1 by serologic studies that have used virus particles or comp lex mixtures of viral proteins as antigens. Recently a peptide was fou nd to be encoded by the transforming region of the virus that is mutag enic and is postulated to be involved in cell transformation. Sera fro m young adult patients with head and neck cancer and from control subj ects were examined for the presence of antibody to this peptide with t he use of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Antibody to the peptid e was detected in many sera and showed a significant correlation with antibody to the virus in sera from control subjects. Antipeptide antib odies were largely of the IgM isotype, and patients had significantly higher levels of antibody than control subjects. This study is consist ent with an association between HSV-1 and head and neck cancer and sug gests that this viral peptide should be investigated further for its r ole in carcinogenesis.