Epstein - Barr virus antibody titers in non nasopharyngeal head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

ABSTRACT

The object of this study was to compare EBV antibody titers between various nonnasopharyngeal head and neck SCC and healthy control persons. During 2 years period ELISA was used to investigate titer of different classes of antibody against VCA, EA, and EBNA component of EBV in patient and control group. of 41 patients enrolled in the study 21 were diagnosed by pathological study with pharyngeal and 20 with laryngeal carcinoma. All of different classes of EBV antibody except for EBNA [IgG] in patient group were significantly higher than those in control group. Statistical analysis did not show a significant difference in antibody titers between laryngeal and pharyngeal location of disease as well as between tobacco user and non user groups. Based on the present study there is an association between high EBV antibody titers and non nasopharyngeal head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Further experiments on tissue samples could investigate the role of EBV in tumor genesis of laryngopharyngeal carcinoma