We conducted a case-control study of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in Tunisia, on diet, dietary patterns and life style, the characteristics of which had been defined by an anthropological study. Eighty incident cases, diagnosed in Tunisia between November 1986 and November 1987, were each matched for sex, age and place of residence to 2 controls. The subjects were asked for dietary data referring to the year preceding the diagnosis of NPC and, with help of their families, during childhood and after weaning. After adjustment for an empirical living conditions score, the following food items were found to be associated with an increased risk for NPC: preserved spiced meat (quaddid), basic stewing preparation (mixture of red and black pepper, garlic, oil, caraway and coriander), and harissa (red pepper, olive oil, garlic, caraway, salt) taken with bread as a snack during childhood and youth. Moreover, subjects who had been directly weaned from mother's milk on to an adult diet were found to be at higher risk for NPC.

Previous reports have demonstrated an association between the HL-A system and risk for nasopharyngeal carcinoma among the Chinese in Singapore. The present paper describes an investigation of HL-A profiles among NPC cases and non-NPC controls from Tunisia, to determine whether a similar association occurs in a different ethnic group. A total of 109 NPC cases and 84 controls were typed. At the second HL-A locus the results were similar to those found in Singapore, but the effect was less marked and did not reach high statistical significance. At the first HL-A locus, no association between A2 and NPC was found, in contrast to the Singapore results.