Premium
The prevalence of anti‐hepatitis C virus among chinese patients with hepatocellular carcinoma
Author(s) -
Lee ShouDong,
Lee FaYauh,
Wu JawChing,
Hwang ShinnJang,
Wang SunSang,
Lo KwangJuei
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19920115)69:2<342::aid-cncr2820690211>3.0.co;2-t
Subject(s) - medicine , hepatocellular carcinoma , hbsag , hepatitis c virus , hepatitis b virus , gastroenterology , antibody , hepatitis b , carcinoma , hepatitis c , virus , virology , immunology
To evaluate the role of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Chinese patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the antibodies to HCV (anti‐HCV) were detected by enzyme immu‐noassay in 41 (12.6%) of the 326 patients with HCC. However, none of 35 patients with metastatic carcinoma of the liver had detectable anti‐HCV. The prevalence of anti‐HCV was significantly higher in patients with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)‐negative HCC than those with HBsAg‐positive HCC (37.3% versus 4.1%, P < 0.0001). However, the prevalence of anti‐HCV was much higher in patients with HCC with negative results for HBsAg and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (54.5%). The mean age of patients with HCC with positive results for anti‐HCV was significantly greater than that of patients with HBsAg‐positive HCC (65.1 versus 55.5 years, P < 0.0001). Alpha‐fetoprotein levels greater than 20 ng/ml were found in 70.7% of patients with HCC with positive results for anti‐HCV and in 73.3% of patients with HBsAg‐positive HCC. Of the Chinese patients with HCC, 74.5% had HBsAg‐positive results and 96.6% had positive results for antibody to hepatitis core antigen. These data indicate that, although HCV may play an etiologic role in HCC, hepatitis B virus is still the most important causal agent among most Chinese patients with HCC.