Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32240363›Full record

ArticleEuropean archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery2020

Lymph-node Epstein-Barr virus concentration in diagnosing cervical lymph-node metastasis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

HuiFang Li, Can Huang, Qiuyan Chen, Chuan Peng, Rong Zhang, Jingxian Shen, Mingyuan Chen, Haiqiang Mai, Ruhai Zou

Erratum issuedAbstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 37% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. [European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

HuiFang LiState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Department of Ultrasound, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
Can HuangState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Department of Ultrasound, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
Qiuyan ChenState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Department of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
Chuan PengState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Department of Ultrasound, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
Rong ZhangState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Department of Radiology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
Jingxian ShenState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Department of Radiology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
Mingyuan ChenState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Department of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
Haiqiang MaiState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Department of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, Guangdong, People's Republic of China. maihq@sysucc.org.cn.
Ruhai ZouState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Department of Ultrasound, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, Guangdong, People's Republic of China. zourh@sysucc.org.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3344-8966
Sun Yat-sen University · CN

Funding

Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province No. 2017A050506020
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeCervical lymph-node (CLN) metastasis commonly occurs in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) metastasis. The presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genomes in neck lymph nodes may diagnose CLN. This research was designed to appraise the diagnostic value of EBV concentration for cervical lymph nodes in NPC.

methodsTwo hundred and fifty-three NPC patients with 276 CLNs were enrolled. MRI was performed to detect CLN metastasis, and plasma EBV concentration was measured by quantitative PCR before treatment. Ultrasonography (US) and US-FNA were subsequently performed in the suspicious lymph nodes. Fifteen patients (22 lymph nodes) underwent fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), and the remaining 242 patients (254 lymph nodes) underwent core needle biopsy (CNB) for CLNs at the clinician's demand. The aspiration needle was rinsed with 1 ml of normal saline for EBV detection. The method of lymph-node EBV measurement was consistent with that for plasma. The MRI results and EBV concentrations in plasma and lymph nodes were recorded and analyzed. Plasma EBV concentrations ≥ 4000 copies/ml were regarded as positive.

resultsCLN-EBV concentrations ≥ 787.5 copies/ml were regarded as positive according to receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis. The AUC of the EBV (0.925) concentration in CLN metastasis was significantly larger than the AUC of MRI (0.714) (P < 0.001). The sensitivity and specificity were 94.09% and 48.72% for MRI in lymph-node metastasis and 95.36% (P > 0.05) and 84.62% (P < 0.01) for EBV DNA in CLN metastasis, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of EBV in plasma were 77.2% and 71.8%, respectively. The diagnostic specificity and AUC of EBV in CLNs were higher than those of MRI and plasma EBV (P < 0.005).

conclusionsUltrasound-guided CLN FNA to obtain EBV concentrations may provide a new method to diagnose CLN metastasis with high sensitivity and specificity.

Indexed as

Epstein-Barr Virus InfectionsNasopharyngeal NeoplasmsHerpesvirus 4, HumanHumansLymphatic MetastasisLymph NodesNasopharyngeal CarcinomaSensitivity and SpecificityCervical lymph-node metastasisEpstein–Barr virusFine-needle aspirationLymph-node metastasisNasopharyngeal carcinoma

Identifiers

PMID32240363
OpenAlexW3014872166

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.