After adjusting for sex, age, education level, family history of NPC, salted food, herb tea, and slow cooked soup in the multivariable models, smoking showed similar positive associations with EBV seropositivity, with aOR = 1.40 (95%CI: 1.22‐1.60) for VCA‐IgA and aOR = 1.58 (95%CI: 1.38‐1.82) for EBNA1‐IgA at baseline; aOR = 1.68 (95%CI: 1.29‐2.18) for VCA‐IgA and aOR = 1.92 (95%CI: 1.42‐2.59) for EBNA1‐IgA in the 3‐5 years of follow up. This evidence concerns the gene CD79A and nasopharyngeal carcinoma.