ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the relevant aspects of cervical neoplasia and herpes simplex viruses (HSV) with particular emphasis on the potential of these viruses to transform cells and to cause tumors in animals. It considers the various epidemiological approaches that used to examine the association between herpesviruses and neoplasia in humans. The ability of HSV to infect the cervix, including the squamocolumnar junction from which most cervical neoplasias originate, is among the most attractive aspects of its possible role in cervical carcinogenesis. Attempts to demonstrate HSV oncogenicity were first made in experimental animal models. Since cervical neoplasia usually occurs in the region between the squamous cells of the cervix and the columnar cells of the uterus, the putative agent should be able to affect this region specifically. Epidemiological studies attempting to relate any putative agent to cervical neoplasia must, therefore, optimally ensure that both study and control groups are matched for sexually related variables.
