Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). X. Incidence of EBV antibodies in patients with malignant tumors.

Serum samples from 31 patients with various types of malignancies, 18 patients with different viral infections and 6 healthy subjects as controls, were tested by indirect immunofluorescence (IF) method for antibodies against viral capsid antigens (VCA) and the presence of active EBV infection. EBV antibodies anti-VCA were detected in 19 patients with tumors, in 8 patients with viral infections and in 2 healthy subjects. EBV active infection was found out in 9/19, 3/8 and 0/2 EBV anti-VCA positive patients with malignancies, different viral infections and healthy subjects respectively.