Serological survey of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in 21 cities of south China.

This paper reports the results of serological survey of 318,912 persons for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in 21 cities and counties of south China. There were 8,441 persons with positive VCA-IgA antibody (single item positive) of EB virus (EBV), with a rate of 2.65%. In these VCA-IgA positive persons, 287 persons also had positive EA-IgA (double items positive) of EBV. The overall positive rate was 0.09%. 100 cases of NPC were found and 87 of them (87.0%) were in early stage. NPC found in the group with single item positive accounts for 1.19%, but the rate in the group with double items positive was 19.16% (55 cases). In NPC patients with double items positive, 49 cases were in early stage (89.1%). In 100 cases of NPC found, 45 cases appeared with negative EA-IgA, only with positive VCA-IgA, which indicated that for diagnosis of NPC, sensitivity of EA-IgA was lower than that of VCA-IgA, but its specificity was higher. Therefore, both can increase the detecting rate and early diagnosis rate of NPC. The age of people checked varied with different antibody positive rate and NPC detecting rate. The three items showed a positive correlation. The results are compatible with those of the prospective study for NPC in Wuzhou City, Guangxi, China. The method for NPC serological diagnosis can be extended and applied to raise the NPC detecting rate and early diagnosis rate at secondary prevention. And, it is further proved that there is a close relationship between NPC and EBV.