[Detection of serum Epstein-Barr virus antibody level by ELISA in normal populations and nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients in Zhongshan City of China].
OBJECTIVE
To understand the distribution of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibodies, namely EBNA 1/IgA, ZEBRA/IgA, EBNA 1/IgG in the populations of different ages or genders in Zhongshan City of Guangdong Province, China.


METHODS
A total of 484 serum samples were obtained from the population of Zhongshan City including 16 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and were assayed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for EBV antibodies.


RESULTS
The serum antibody level of EBNA1/IgA, represented by its relative optical density value abbreviated as D(lambda), was 0.726 +/- 0.541 in male and 0.563 +/- 0.340 in female subjects, showing significant difference (P<0.001). The level of ZEBRA/IgG in the male subjects was significantly lower than that of the female subjects (0.709 +/- 0.480 vs 0.829 +/- 0.480, P<0.01). EBNA1/IgG levels differed little between the male and the female subjects, being 0.781 +/- 0.285 and 0.784 +/- 0.302 respectively (P<0.05). The positivity rate of ZEBRA/IgG was obviously related to the subjects' ages with a correlation factor of 0.766 (P<0.05), and NPC patients had significantly higher levels of the 3 antibodies than did the healthy subjects (P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The serum levels of these 3 antibodies fluctuate within a limited range in different age groups or between genders, significant increasing in NPC group and therefore may help the diagnosis of NPC. It can be imperative to set differently critical values of EBV antibody for different population groups to facilitate nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) diagnosis and high-risk screening.
Cheng
Min-ting
MT
People's Hospital of Zhongshan City, Zhongshan 528400, China.
Cheng
Wei-min
WM
Ji
Ming-fang
MF
Liang
Jin-sheng
JS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D002681:China; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology*; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; C417029:EBV-encoded nuclear antigen 1