Sero-epidemiology of the Epstein-Barr virus: preliminary analysis of an international study - a review.

Samples of Chinese, Indian, African and Caucasian populations, randomly selected in Hong Kong, Singapore, the West Nile District of Uganda, and Nancy, France, were titrated for antibodies to EBV, viral capsid (VCA) and complement-fixing soluble (CF/S) antigens. The age-specific prevalence of infection (as reflected by the proportion of VCA-positive individuals) varied greatly up to the age of 10 years in the four populations studied, the West Nile District of Uganda being outstanding in having an early and massive infection rate. Differences were also observed between ethnic groups in Singapore, where the Chinese appeared to have a delayed infection rate compared to the Indians. Immune response, as measured by the prevalence of CF/S antibodies and by the geometric mean titres (GMT) of VCA and CF/S antibodies, differed significantly between ethnic groups, Ugandan infants (1-3-year age-groups) having a humoral response to VCA and CF/S antigens as high as or higher than that of Burkitt's lymphoma patients, decreasing thereafter to levels lower than those of any other ethnic group observed. Indians in Singapore, known to be at no risk for NPC and BL, exhibited a higher and steadier immune response to VCA in going from young to old age-groups than did the Chinese.