EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS IN EXFOLIATED CELLS FROM THE POSTNASAL SPACE - VIRAL DETECTION BY POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION IS NOT A USEFUL MEANS OF SCREENING FOR NASOPHARYNGEAL CARCINOMA IN HIGH-RISK POPULATIONS
U. Hording et al., EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS IN EXFOLIATED CELLS FROM THE POSTNASAL SPACE - VIRAL DETECTION BY POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION IS NOT A USEFUL MEANS OF SCREENING FOR NASOPHARYNGEAL CARCINOMA IN HIGH-RISK POPULATIONS, APMIS. Acta pathologica, microbiologica et immunologica Scandinavica, 102(5), 1994, pp. 367-370
There is a high incidence of undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma
(NCP) in certain populations, including Greenland Eskimos. The cancer
appears to have a causal association with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), w
hich is regularly found in NPC epithelial cells. With the aim of devel
oping a method of screening or facilitating early diagnosis of NPC, we
used the polymerase chain reaction to examine exfoliated nasopharynge
al cells for EBV in 54 Greenland and 17 white Danish subjects, none of
whom was suspected of having NPC. EBV DNA was found in 81% of Greenla
nd and 35% of Danish subjects. These findings support the concept of E
BV infection leading in most cases to a chronic carrier state. It is c
oncluded that EBV detection in nasopharyngeal cells is not at present
a suitable method for identification of individuals at increased risk
of developing NPC.