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The male preponderance in incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhotic patients may depend on the higher DNA synthetic activity of cirrhotic tissue in men
Author(s) -
Tarao Kazuo,
Ohkawa Shinichi,
Shimizu Akio,
Harada Masaoki,
Nakamura Yoshiyasu,
Ito Yoshihiko,
Tamai Setsuo,
Hoshino Hiroshi,
Okamoto Naoyuki,
Iimori Kazuto,
Inoue Tohru,
Kanisawa Masayoshi
Publication year - 1993
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(19930715)72:2<369::aid-cncr2820720210>3.0.co;2-5
Subject(s) - hepatocellular carcinoma , bromodeoxyuridine , dna synthesis , medicine , cirrhosis , incidence (geometry) , gastroenterology , dna , pathology , biology , immunohistochemistry , genetics , physics , optics
Background . The relationship between the DNA synthetic activity of hepatocytes from cirrhotic liver tissue and the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) during a 3‐year follow‐up period was studied in male and female patients with posthepatitic cirrhosis. Methods . The bromodeoxyuridine labeling index (BrdU LI) of hepatocytes was estimated in 38 cirrhotic patients (Child A stage, 23 men and 15 women) using a BrdU/anti‐BrdU in vitro method. The incidence of HCC was compared between male and female cirrhotic patients during a 3‐year follow‐up period. Results . Sixteen of 23 (69.6%) male patients belonged to the high‐DNA synthesis group (BrdU LI ⩽ 1.5%), and only 7 (30.4%) were in the low‐DNA synthesis group (BrdU LI < 1.5%). Among female patients, only 5 of 15 (33.3%) were in the high‐DNA synthesis group, and 10 of 15 (66.7%) were in the low‐DNA synthesis group ( P < 0.05). Eleven of 23 (47.8%) male patients and 3 of 15 (20.0%) female patients had HCC develop. In the high‐DNA synthesis group, 10 of 16 (62.5%) of the men and 3 of 5 (60.0%) of the women had HCC develop during the follow‐up period. In contrast, only one of seven (14.3%) male patients and none of ten (0%) female patients in the low‐DNA synthesis group had HCC develop. Conclusions . It was concluded that HCC developed frequently (about 60% of the time within 3 years) in patients of both sexes who were in a high‐DNA synthesis group. Thus, the larger proportion of men in the high‐DNA synthesis group compared with the number of women in the group (69.6% versus 33.3%) might be one possible reason for the male predominance in the development of HCC in cirrhotic patients.