Epstein-Barr virus-associated antibody patterns in carcinoma of the post-nasal space

Abstract

Sera from African patients with tumours of the post-nasal space, Hong Kong Chinese patients with carcinomas of the post-nasal space and from Indian donors with buccal, oro- and hypopharyngeal carcinomas, as well as African control sera from healthy persons and individuals with various non-neoplastic and neoplastic diseases were tested for anti-Epstein–Barr virus titres and for antibodies capable of blocking the direct membrane immunofluorescence reaction obtained between Epstein-Barr virus carrying lymphoblastoid cell lines and two different fluorescein conjugated reference sera; one from a patient with Burkitt lymphoma (F-Mutua conjugate) and the other from a patient with carcinoma of the post-nasal space (F-Kipkoech conjugate). Ninety per cent or more of the African and Chinese patients with carcinoma of the post-nasal space gave at least one high test, and 60% were high in all three assays. In contrast, African patients with post-nasal space tumours other than carcinomas, African controls and Indian buccal, oro- and hypopharyngeal carcinomas gave high reactions in all three assays in less than 20%.