Abstract
Exfoliated cells from the services of 22 patients with histologically diagnosed squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix and from (hose of 24 control women were examined for herpes subtype 2 (HT-2) antigens by indirect immunofluorescence studies. This method demonstrated that cells from all the patients with carcinoma contained antigens related to HT-2 virus. In contrast, squamous cells from the services of 24 control women with no cervical disease and of 2 women with chronic cervicitis did not contain such HT-2 antigens. Although an etiologic role of HT-2 virus infection cannot yet be established, it is probable that such infection precedes neoplastic changes.