title: Hepatocellular carcinoma in alcoholic liver disease: no evidence for a pathogenetic role of hepatitis B virus infection.
abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma tissues from HBsAg-negative patients with chronic alcoholic liver disease were investigated for the presence of hepatitis B virus DNA. Southern blot analyses of DNA extracted from the hepatocellular carcinomas were negative for hepatitis B virus DNA in all 17 patients examined, at a level of sensitivity of less than 0.01 genome equivalent per cell. Similarly, in liver tissues from another 30 patients with alcoholic cirrhosis without hepatocellular carcinoma, no hepatitis B virus DNA was detectable. We conclude that in our patients there is no molecular evidence for a contribution of hepatitis B virus infection to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in alcoholic liver disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Blum
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huonker
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.forename: W B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Offensperger
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Offensperger
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gerok
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens