Recently, a breakthrough paper published in Nature Genetics by a team of scientists from China and Singapore provides a new possible answer to this question:
A virus named EBV has mutated in Asia and become a high-risk subtype that can cause nasopharyngeal carcinoma. ? This high-risk subtype virus is widely spread in Guangdong population!
Because of the special distribution characteristics of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, it is obvious that the most important risk factor is not age? At present, the mainstream view is that the high incidence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in southern China is caused by many factors such as heredity, environment and EB virus infection.
Genetic factors of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. In 2002 and 20 10, Academician Zeng Yixin's research team published two research results in Nature Genetics, and found the genetic susceptibility sites of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, indicating that nasopharyngeal carcinoma does have certain heredity and some people have high congenital risk. ?
Eating habits in Guangdong province are also related to the incidence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. ? The customs and eating habits left over by Baiyue tribe, especially the residents in Guangdong and Guangxi like to eat salted fish and other foods, will also increase the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
If EBV is the cause of the disease, why are Cantonese infected? This has become a difficult problem in the field of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Scientists have put forward various speculations, but there is no strong evidence. ?
Finally, it is concluded that a new theory and evidence are presented to us: there are different types of EBV, and Cantonese people are infected with specific high-risk subtypes! ?