Epstein‐Barr viral serology in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients in the USSR and Cuba, and its value for differential diagnosis of the disease

Abstract

Serological responses to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated antigens were studied in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients in 2 countries non-endemic for the disease: the USSR (77 cases) and Cuba (55 cases). Two age- and sex-matched control groups were available, one consisting of patients with other head-and-neck tumours (OHNT) (171 from the USSR and 56 from Cuba), and the other of normal individuals (blood donors) (83 from the USSR and 80 from Cuba). Unlike the control groups, NPC patients from both countries had high levels of IgG and IgA antibodies, similar to those seen in patients from endemic areas. The only difference between NPC patients in the USSR and those in Cuba was lower (2-2.5 fold) anti-VCA IgG and IgA antibody titres. Using one-factor and multi-factor statistical methods the diagnostic value of different titres of EBV-specific IgG and IgA antibodies and their combinations for NPC patients (in the USSR) was evaluated. It was found that with simple mathematical analysis of EBV-specific antibody titres a differential diagnosis of NPC could be made to a significance level of 90%. The data obtained demonstrated the importance and reliability of EBV serology in the diagnosis of NPC in areas of low incidence of the disease.

Epstein–barr Virus in the Population of Two Geographically Different Regions of Russia

“…Высказанное предположение подтверж-дается рядом работ, обнаруживших отличающи-еся уровни иммунного ответа к ВЭБ у больных РНГ ВЭБ из разных стран и этнических групп [2]. Наши собственные исследования также позво-лили выявить различные уровни серологическо-го ответа к ВЭБ у больных РНГ двух стран -Рос-сии и Кубы [7].…”

Immune response to the terminal repeat protein of epstein-barr virus in patients with undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma

“…Screening of sera for antibodies to VCA and EA was performed using the indirect immunofluoreseence reaction as described earlier [4]. TP antibodies were determined using the SF158 insect cell line infected with recombinant baculovirus that has inserted practically full-length TP1 gene derived from the M-ABA/CBL1 EBV eDNA library [2].…”

“…The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) [11,13] has become one of the main methods of detecting various viral agents [3,4,8,15]. PCR-amplified prod-Institute of Medical Primatology, Sochi --Adler, * M. Pettenkoferlnstitute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Munich ucts are easily visualized and can be used in a broad spectrum of analytical studies [6,9].…”

“…The conventional assay for IgG and IgA antibodies to the proteins of EBV lyric infection (viral capsid and early antigen complexes -VCA and EA) is fairly informative as a significant additional criterion in the differential diagnosis of uNPC [4]. The conventional assay for IgG and IgA antibodies to the proteins of EBV lyric infection (viral capsid and early antigen complexes -VCA and EA) is fairly informative as a significant additional criterion in the differential diagnosis of uNPC [4].…”

Epstein-Barr Virus and Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: Viral Markers for Diagnostics and Assessment of Clinical Status of Patients

“…Для большинства больных нРНГ характерны повышенные титры гуморальных антител к ВЭБ [16,17], которые поднимаются до высоких уровней задолго до установления диагноза [18]. Это дало основание предположить, что ВЭБ может участвовать в патогенезе нРНГ ещё в доклинической фазе болезни.…”