Sera from patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) show high titres of IgA antibodies to Epstein-Barr viral capsid antigen (IgA/VCA). We reported previously that the serum titres for Epstein-Barr virus-related nuclear antigen-2 (EBNA2) correlated with NPC patients' prognosis. To investigate which is better for diagnosing NPC and predicting patient prognosis, the titration of serum IgA/VCA or EBNA2, we examined the same serum titres. Sixteen cases of NPC in which serum EBNA2 antibody titres had been tested, were investigated for the serum IgA/VCA antibody titres before and after radiation treatment. All NPC cases showed positive reactions with indirect immunofluorescence staining, and the median titre was 252. Twelve normal controls, 5 mesopharyngeal carcinoma patients, 4 hypopharyngeal carcinoma patients, 4 laryngeal carcinoma patients and 6 malignant lymphoma were also examined, but they showed negative or relatively low titres. A follow-up study revealed that IgA/VCA titres remained mostly stable. These results indicate a close relationship between IgA/VCA and NPC, however, prognosis correlated better with EBNA2 titres than with IgA/VCA titres.

Sera from 721 randomly selected infants were examined for antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus (VCA and EA) and the prevalence by age was determined.1) Antibodies to VCA were found in 82% of 0-month old infants but decreased rapidly to only 7.4% (3.7-19.2%) in infants aged 3-9 months. They then increased slowly with age and reached a plateau (80-90%) by the age of 8-9 years. 2) Antibodies to EA were found in 15 (4.3%) out of 347 EBV-VCA seropostive infants. All were R type.3) The percentage of children aged from 3 months to 8 years having antibodies decreased apparently as compared to the results of Sakai which were obtained about 7 years previously. These results reveal that the prevalence of EBV is now decreasing to the level in White Americans and also suggest that clinical cases of infectious mononucleosis may be expected to increase in Japan.(Abstract of Nippon Shonikagakhi Zasshi (Acta. Paed. Jpn. Japanese ed.) 86(11).1982) Acta Paediatr Jpn