Epstein‐Barr Virus Infection and Serological Profile in Greenland Eskimo Children

Abstract

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-specific antibody profile of 101 Greenland Eskimo children was determined. The proportion of children with serological evidence of recent or past primary EBV infections rose from 22% at 6 months of age to 79% at 24 months of age. All but 2 of 49 children more than 4 years of age proved seropositive. The geometric mean titre (GMT) of antibodies to the viral capsid antigen (VCA) was highest during the first 3 years of life and declined sharply to a lower, nearly constant level in older children. The GMT of antibodies to the nuclear antigen (EBNA), rose slowly during the first 4 years of life to its persistent level. None of the children had a history of illnesses comparable to infectious mononucleosis. The results have shown that in this population with an enhanced risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, primary EBV infection occurs at a very early age.

Cancer pattern among Greenlandic Inuit migrants in Denmark, 1968-1982

“…High titers of EBV have been found in Greenlandic children and in other populations at high risk of NPC (Lanier et al, 1981;Melbye et al, 1984;Albeck et al, 1985). Consumption of salted fish especially during the weaning period and early childhood has also been proposed as a risk factor for developing NPC (Ho et al, 1978 (Yu & Henderson, 1986).…”

Otitis Media in Greenland: studies on historical, epidemiological, microbiological, and immunological aspects

“…This idea was trickered by studies concerning MBL genotypes and MBL serum levels in Greenlanders and studies of EBV infections in Greenlanders (Garred et al 1992, Madsen et al 1994, Melbye et al 1984, Albeck et al 1985. MBL acts as an opsonizer and has the capability of initiating the classical complement pathway when binding to mannose residues on yeast, bacteria or virus (Super et al 1989, Anders et al 1994, Turner 1996.…”

“…An association may therefore also exist between MBL genotypes and EBV infection. EBV infections have been reported to be early and frequent in Greenlandic children (Melbye et al 1984, Albeck et al 1985. EBV infection is known to stimulate the production of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 which inhibits the function of macrophages, T-killer lymphocytes, and natural killer cells.…”

Space-time clustering of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Greenland Eskimos

“…The EBV genome has been demonstrated in malignant NPC epithelial cells from Greenland Eskimos (Saemundsen et al, 1982). Seroconversion to EBV in Greenland is almost universal by the age of two years (Albeck et al, 1985), indicating early exposure to EBV infection. On the basis of the seroepidemiology of EBV (Henle & Henle, 1979), it can be assumed that primary infection with EBV also took place during infancy and childhood during the first half of this century, when the subjects in this study were …”