title: Relationship of hepatitis B antigen in cirrhosis and hepatoma in Thailand. An etiological significance.
abstract: A study of 221 patients revealed that detectable hepatitis B surface antigen (HBS Ag) was found in 16.3% of 49 patients who had hepatoma associated with cirrhosis. None of the 8 hepatoma patients without cirrhosis had detectable HBS Ag in the serum. When known causes of cirrhosis were excluded, HBS Ag was present in 18% of 22 patients. Positive alpha-1-fetoprotein (AFP) was found in 25 of 49 cases (51%) of hepatoma with cirrhosis but was found only in 1 of 8 cases (12.5%) of hepatoma without cirrhosis. Of 25 patients whose AFP was positive, HBS Ag was also present in 7. The latter was detected in only 1 of 24 patients in whom AFP was not detected. This study suggests that HBS Ag is closely associated with hepatomas in cirrhotic patients but not in noncirrhotic patients with hepatoma.
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D013785:Thailand; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins