Biomaterial Database

Herpes simplex and herpes genitalis viruses in etiology of some human cancers. 1973

A B Sabin, and G Tarro

The results of complement fixation tests on 202 sera from people without cancer and from patients with cancer in 29 different areas of the body indicated that only those with nine varieties of advanced cancer (lip, mouth, oropharynx, nasopharynx, kidney, urinary bladder, prostate, cervix uteri, and vulva-all of 56 tested) gave positive specific reactions with nonvirion antigens induced by the DNA herpes simplex (HSV 1) and herpes genitalis (HSV 2) viruses. None of 57 people without cancer (including 10 with current and 18 with recurrent HSV 1 or HSV 2 infections), none of 81 patients with 20 other varieties of advanced cancer (gum, tongue, tonsil, salivary gland, accessory sinus, epiglottis, lung-bronchus, stomach, colon, breast, corpus uteri, ovary, testis, liver, thyroid, Wilms' embryonal kidney, melanoma, Hodgkin's disease, acute lymphocytic leukemia, and acute myelocytic leukemia), and none of four women with early malignant changes in the cervix uteri gave positive results. The seven patients with advanced cancer of the lip or oropharynx gave positive reactions with HSV 1 but not with HSV 2 nonvirion antigens (compatible with involvement of only HSV 1), all of the 13 women with advanced cancer of the cervix uteri and the one woman with advanced cancer of the vulva gave positive reactions with both HSV 1 and HSV 2 nonvirion antigens (compatible with involvement of only HSV 2), while among the 35 other positive patients only two (one with cancer of the kidney and one with cancer of the bladder) reacted with HSV 1 and not at all with HSV 2 nonvirion antigens. Positive sera failed to react with cells harvested at different times after high-multiplicity infection with the DNA vaccinia virus. Massive absorption of positive sera with trypsinized, uninfected human embryonic kidney cells failed to remove, or lower the titer of, the HSV 1 and HSV 2 nonvirion antibodies. All of these data taken together are interpreted as indicating that HSV 1 and HSV 2 play an etiologic role in certain human cancers, because they provide the kind of evidence by which virus-free experimental cancers can be proved to have been originally induced by such DNA viruses as polyoma, Simian Virus 40, or certain types of adenovirus.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007414	Intestinal Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the INTESTINES.	Cancer of Intestines,Intestinal Cancer,Cancer of the Intestines,Intestines Cancer,Intestines Neoplasms,Neoplasms, Intestinal,Cancer, Intestinal,Cancer, Intestines,Cancers, Intestinal,Cancers, Intestines,Intestinal Cancers,Intestinal Neoplasm,Intestines Cancers,Intestines Neoplasm,Neoplasm, Intestinal,Neoplasm, Intestines,Neoplasms, Intestines
D007938	Leukemia	A progressive, malignant disease of the blood-forming organs, characterized by distorted proliferation and development of leukocytes and their precursors in the blood and bone marrow. Leukemias were originally termed acute or chronic based on life expectancy but now are classified according to cellular maturity. Acute leukemias consist of predominately immature cells; chronic leukemias are composed of more mature cells. (From The Merck Manual, 2006)	Leucocythaemia,Leucocythemia,Leucocythaemias,Leucocythemias,Leukemias
D008297	Male		Males
D008545	Melanoma	A malignant neoplasm derived from cells that are capable of forming melanin, which may occur in the skin of any part of the body, in the eye, or, rarely, in the mucous membranes of the genitalia, anus, oral cavity, or other sites. It occurs mostly in adults and may originate de novo or from a pigmented nevus or malignant lentigo. Melanomas frequently metastasize widely, and the regional lymph nodes, liver, lungs, and brain are likely to be involved. The incidence of malignant skin melanomas is rising rapidly in all parts of the world. (Stedman, 25th ed; from Rook et al., Textbook of Dermatology, 4th ed, p2445)	Malignant Melanoma,Malignant Melanomas,Melanoma, Malignant,Melanomas,Melanomas, Malignant
D009062	Mouth Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the MOUTH.	Cancer of Mouth,Mouth Cancer,Oral Cancer,Oral Neoplasms,Cancer of the Mouth,Neoplasms, Mouth,Neoplasms, Oral,Cancer, Mouth,Cancer, Oral,Cancers, Mouth,Cancers, Oral,Mouth Cancers,Mouth Neoplasm,Neoplasm, Mouth,Neoplasm, Oral,Oral Cancers,Oral Neoplasm
D009369	Neoplasms	New abnormal growth of tissue. Malignant neoplasms show a greater degree of anaplasia and have the properties of invasion and metastasis, compared to benign neoplasms.	Benign Neoplasm,Cancer,Malignant Neoplasm,Tumor,Tumors,Benign Neoplasms,Malignancy,Malignant Neoplasms,Neoplasia,Neoplasm,Neoplasms, Benign,Cancers,Malignancies,Neoplasias,Neoplasm, Benign,Neoplasm, Malignant,Neoplasms, Malignant
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D003168	Complement Fixation Tests	Serologic tests based on inactivation of complement by the antigen-antibody complex (stage 1). Binding of free complement can be visualized by addition of a second antigen-antibody system such as red cells and appropriate red cell antibody (hemolysin) requiring complement for its completion (stage 2). Failure of the red cells to lyse indicates that a specific antigen-antibody reaction has taken place in stage 1. If red cells lyse, free complement is present indicating no antigen-antibody reaction occurred in stage 1.	Complement Absorption Test, Conglutinating,Conglutination Reaction,Conglutinating Complement Absorption Test,Complement Fixation Test,Conglutination Reactions,Fixation Test, Complement,Fixation Tests, Complement,Reaction, Conglutination,Reactions, Conglutination,Test, Complement Fixation,Tests, Complement Fixation
D005260	Female		Females
D006560	Herpes Labialis	Herpes simplex, caused by type 1 virus, primarily spread by oral secretions and usually occurring as a concomitant of fever. It may also develop in the absence of fever or prior illness. It commonly involves the facial region, especially the lips and the nares. (Dorland, 27th ed.)	Cold Sore,Fever Blister,Herpes Simplex, Labial,Blister, Fever,Blisters, Fever,Cold Sores,Fever Blisters,Labial Herpes Simplex,Sore, Cold,Sores, Cold