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Increased liver iron stores in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma developed on a noncirrhotic liver
Author(s) -
Turlin Bruno,
Juguet Frédéric,
Moirand Romain,
Le Quilleuc Danielle,
Loréal Olivier,
Campion JeanPierre,
Launois Bernard,
Ramée MariePaule,
Brissot Pierre,
Deugnier Yves
Publication year - 1995
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.1840220212
Subject(s) - hepatocellular carcinoma , medicine , gastroenterology , carcinoma , general surgery
Iron was systematically studied in the nontumorous liver of 24 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) developed on a noncirrhotic liver compared with 4 control groups (cirrhosis with and without HCC, liver metastasis, and normal liver) matched according to age, sex, and presence of chronic alcoholism. Assessment of liver iron was made by (1) histology according to iron distribution and quantification (total iron score: 0 to 60), and (2) biochemistry (liver iron concentration‐N < 36 μmol/g) with calculation of the hepatic iron index (liver iron concentration/age). Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma developed on a noncirrhotic liver presented with (1) histological iron in 83%; (2) parenchymal iron excess significantly more frequent (90%) than in controls; (3) total iron score (15 ± 12) and liver iron concentration (81 ± 96) significantly greater than in controls; and (4) hepatic iron index significantly increased (1.4 ± 1.5) when compared with control groups, except for the hepatocellular carcinoma complicating cirrhosis group (0.9 ± 1.1). This study (1) shows a mild but unquestionable parenchymal iron excess in the nontumorous liver of most patients presenting with hepatocellular carcinoma developed on a noncirrhotic liver and, at a lesser extent, on cirrhosis, (2) should incite others to study the putative role of iron in the development of liver cancer both in patients with cirrhosis and those without it, whatever the cause of the underlying liver disease, and (3) add argument to take into account and to treat any liver iron excess, even when mild. (Hepatology 1995;22:446–450.)