title: [Clinical analysis and long-term follow up study of asymptomatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the character of Epstein-Barr(EB) virus serology, fibroscopy appearance and prognosis of asymptomatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Viral capsid antigen's IgA (VCA/IgA) of EB virus and early antigen's IgA(EA/IgA) of EB virus were detected by immunoenzymatic method. The clinical examination was carried out, including indirect mirror examination and fibroscopy of the nasopharynx and multiple biopsies. All patients of NPC were followed up to the end of 1999.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1. The geometric mean titer of VCA/IgA and EA/IgA are 1:100.79 and 1:10.76 respectively when asymptomatic NPC was diagnosed. There were no significant difference between VCA/IgA and EA/IgA antibody titres of asymptomatic patients and symptomatic cases (P > 0.05). The survival rates in these asymptomatic cases were higher than symptomatic patients (P < 0.05). 2. There was no correlation with the VCA/IgA or EA/IgA titer and the prognosis (P > 0.05) and the cervical lymph node metastasis (P > 0.05) when NPC was diagnosed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is helpful to detect asymptomatic NPCs by EB serological screening periodically and nasopharyngeal fibroscopy and multiple biopsies.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute of Zhongshan City, Zhongshan City, Guangdong, 528403, China. jmftbh@sina.com
authors.forename: Ming-fang
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Yuan-qing
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Shou-ang
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Jin-sheng
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: De-kun
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xing-tai
authors.initials: XT
authors.lastname: Ou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004724:Endoscopy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011379:Prognosis