Comparison between ELISA and PCR for Detection of Epstein-Barr Virus in Head and Neck Malignancies

This is a comparative prospective study conducted for a period of 2 years from December 2012 to December 2014 in the Postgraduate Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Government Medical College, Srinagar, in collaboration with the Department of Biochemistry. A total of 118 subjects were enrolled in the study design, which included 98 histopathologically confirmed head and neck malignant cases and 20 healthy controls. The aim of the study was to compare the ELISA with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in head and neck carcinoma cases and compare such results with controls. Results: Around 32.65 and 42.85% of patients were positive for EBV with PCR and ELISA, respectively. When these results were compared with controls, it showed statistically significant results; only 5% of subjects in controls were positive for EBV (p value = 0.015) with PCR while as many as 15% with ELISA (p value = 0.049). The sensitivity and specificity of ELISA are 100 and 84.85%, respectively, with diagnostic accuracy of the test 89.8% (Cohens value = 0.7853).