Genotypic Analysis of Epstein‐Barr Virus Associated with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma of Japanese Patients

Types and certain genetic markers were studied for Epstein‐Barr virus present in 10 specimens of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) from Japanese patients. The type 1 virus was predominant in our NPC specimens, as in the general Japanese population, and the type 2 virus was found only in one NPC specimen. The type C variant, which lacks the BamHI site between the BamHI‐W1* and ‐I1* regions, appeared to be common among Japanese strains as in those in Southern China. The type f variant which has an extra BamHI site in the BamHI‐F region and has been shown to be strongly associated with NPC in Southern China was found in only one NPC specimen. This virus strain was also the only type 2 virus among our specimens. The present study, therefore, does not show any specific association of the type f variant with NPC in Japan.