Lymphocyte subsets and EB virus antibodies in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Lymphocyte subsets and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated antibodies were studied in 108 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and in 34 normal controls. Lymphocyte subsets were identified with monoclonal antibodies (Ortho Co.) by indirect immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) method. The helper T lymphocytes (OKT4+) in NPC patients comprised 38.2 +/- 10.5% which is significantly different from 45.2 +/- 8.0% in controls. The helper/suppressor ratio in NPC patients was 1.33 +/- 0.65 which is significantly different from 1.64 +/- 0.48 in controls, but the ratio was not correlated with disease extent, sex, age, total lymphocyte counts, WBC counts and EBV-associated antibodies of NPC patients. There were no remarkable differences between NPC patients and controls in B lymphocytes (OKIa+), total T lymphocytes (OKT3+), and suppressor lymphocyte (OKT8+) percentages, total lymphocyte counts and WBC counts. The EBV-associated antibodies were titrated by the IFA method using P3HR-1 cells and Raji cells induced by IUdR as target. Mean antibody titers and seropositive rates showed significant increase in NPC patients (1:12-1:502 and 45.4%-68.5%, respectively) compared with controls (1:1-1:87 and 1.0%-5.9%, respectively). The increase in antibodies was positively correlated with NPC disease extent, but was not correlated with the sex, age, total lymphocyte counts, helper/suppressor ratio, and WBC counts of NPC patients.