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Hepatitis B virus replication in chinese patients with hepatocellular carcinoma
Author(s) -
Lok Anna S. F.,
Ma Oliver C. K.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.488
H-Index - 361
eISSN - 1527-3350
pISSN - 0270-9139
DOI - 10.1002/hep.1840120322
Subject(s) - hepatocellular carcinoma , hbsag , hepatitis b virus , medicine , hepatology , virology , hepatitis b , virus , hepatitis , hepatitis c virus , immunology
We studied the frequency of hepatitis B virus replication in Chinese patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatitis B e antigen and hepatitis B virus DNA could be detected in the sera of 28% and 47% of 116 HBsAg‐positive patients, but not in the sera of 15 HBsAg‐negative patients. Replicative forms of hepatitis B virus DNA were detected in the neoplastic and nonneoplastic liver tissues from 34% and 62% of 29 HBsAg‐positive patients and 0% and 20% of five HBsAg‐negative patients by Southern blot hybridization analysis. Of the 10 patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection in whom hepatocellular carcinoma developed during follow‐up, hepatitis B e antigen and hepatitis B virus DNA were detected in the sera of seven and eight patients, respectively, at presentation, 13 to 43 mo before the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. In nine patients, hepatitis B virus DNA was persistently or intermittently detected in the serum during follow‐up. Five patients remained hepatitis B e antigen‐positive and seven were detectable for hepatitis B virus DNA in serum when hepatocellular carcinoma was diagnosed. Four patients had one or more episodes of exacerbations before the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma; in three, the exacerbations were associated with changes in level of hepatitis B virus replication. Our study demonstrated that despite the long interval between the onset of hepatitis B virus infection and the development of hepatocellular carcinoma, hepatitis B virus replication persisted in most patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, albeit at a low level. (H EPATOLOGY 1990;12:582–588).