title: Hepatitis B viral markers in Nigerian patients with primary liver carcinoma.
abstract: Sera from 65 patients with primary liver carcinoma (PLC) and 69 sex- and age-matched controls were examined for Hepatitis B virus markers. Forty two of the patients (65%) and 25 controls (36%) were HBsAg positive. Anti-HBc was demonstrated in over 80% and in 84% of the study groups respectively. Over 70% of hepatitis B infection was anicteric and traditional surgical intervention correlated with prevalence of PLC. The data provide support for the etiological role of HBV in Nigerian patients with PLC; this is the first report that the incidence of PLC is highest in the northern Savannah region of Nigeria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gashau
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mohammed
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins