The association between undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma and Epstein-Barr virus shown by correlated nucleic acid hybridization and histopathological studies.
All of 51 undifferentiated carcinomas of the nasopharynx were EBV-DNA-positive and, in the few tests performed, EBNA-positive as well. Most of these patients also had high anti-EBV [VCA and EA (D)] antibody titres. Of four patients that had somewhat differentiated NPCs, two were EBV-DNA-positive with a corresponding serological picture, whereas two were negative with an EBV serology comparable to that of healthy donors. Of seven lymphomas localized in the nasopharynx, one was EBV-DNA-positive and corresponded histologically to Burkitt's lymphoma, whereas six others were EBV-DNA-negative. Fourteen head and neck carcinomas outside the nasopharynx were all EBV-DNA-negative. These results confirm the consistent and unique association of EBV DNA with undifferentiated carcinomas of the nasopharynx.
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004247:DNA; D004279:DNA, Viral; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D013194:Staining and Labeling
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D004247:DNA