title: The prevalence of anti-hepatitis C virus among Chinese patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: 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 immunoassay 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 less than 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 less than 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: F Y
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Lo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000382:microbiology*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens