Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) Based Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC) Risk Prediction Scores are Elevated in NPC Multiplex Family Members Compared to the General Population in Taiwan.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is caused by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and is more likely to occur in susceptible families. Whether genetic susceptibility operates through altered EBV control is incompletely understood. A NPC risk prediction model based on 14 EBV markers to compare the risk score distribution in unaffected members from multiplex families with that in population-based controls. Despite the absence of NPC at the time of antibody measurement, we still observed an upward shift in the risk score among multiplex family members compared to general population, consistent with the possibility that genetic factors affect NPC risk through alterations in EBV control.