title: Antibody to Epstein-Barr virus specific DNase in sera of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and other nine most common cancer patients in Taiwan.
abstract: Sera from 119 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), 33 patients with other cancers of the head and neck, 220 normal subjects and various numbers of patients with each of the other nine most common cancers in Taiwan were examined for their serum antibody response to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-specific DNase. The positive rate (neutralizing activity greater than 2 units) in normal subjects was 5.5%; 12.1% in patients with other cancers of the head and neck, 87.4% in NPC patients and 0% (colon or rectal cancer) to 30% (lung cancer) in the other nine cancer patients. There is statistically significant difference of positive rates between NPC patients and lung cancer patients (p less than 0.001). Briefly, the test has 87% sensitivity and 95% specificity for NPC patients. Therefore titration of the serum antibody reactivity to EBV-specific DNase can be used as a method for massive screening for the early diagnosis of NPC.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases / Q000276:immunology*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases