title: Hepatitis C virus antibody in hepatocellular carcinoma in Taiwan.
abstract: The prevalence of antibody to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) was investigated in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and correlated with the clinical features. Anti-HCV was detected in 129 histology or aspiration cytology proven HCC patients and 54 healthy controls. Anti-HCV was examined by the HCV EIA (Abbott Laboratories). All healthy controls were anti-HCV-negative. Nineteen of 81 (23.5%) hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive HCC patients were positive for anti-HCV. Anti-HCV was found among 60.4% (29/48) of HCC patients without detectable HB-sAg. Forty-eight of 129 (37.2%) HCC patients were positive for anti-HCV. There was a significant difference in the prevalence of anti-HCV between patients with HBsAg (23.5%) and those without HBsAg (60.4%, P = 0.0001). However, irrespective of the status of HBsAg, there was no statistical difference in sex, age, routine liver function tests, alpha-fetoprotein concentration, or associated cirrhosis between patients with anti-HCV and those without. The results imply that hepatitis C virus may play a role in the pathogenesis of HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical College, Republic of China.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Jeng
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Tsai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens