Epstein-Barr virus-determined nuclear antigen in malignant epithelial cells of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Tumor tissue from lymph node metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) was successfully heterotransplanted into an athymic nude mouse and the tumor grown in the nude mouse was identical in its morphology to that form the patient by optical and electron microscopy. Tumor cells at passage 2 were dispersed in vitro by enzymic digestion and smeared. Epstein-Barr virus-determined nuclear antigen (EBNA) was demonstrated in malignant epithelial cells of the smear.