title: Epstein-Barr virus specific T-cell response in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients.
abstract: There is a substantial body of evidence suggesting an association between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The present study has compared a group of NPC patients (newly diagnosed and long-term survivors) and controls for EBV-specific T-cell immunity using the regression of transformation assay. Newly diagnosed patients (17 tested) when compared with either long-term survivors (20 tested) or controls (30 tested) showed a significant impairment in virus-specific T-cell immunity (p = 0.036, p = 0.043 respectively). Furthermore, donors with IgA antibody to EBV showed a significant depression in virus-specific T-cell immunity compared with donors without IgA antibody (19 IgA-positive, 48 IgA-negative; p = 0.0025). These results may be important in explaining the postulated role of EBV in the aetiology of NPC.
mesh_terms: D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007070:Immunoglobulin A