title: Presence of hepatitis B surface antigen before primary hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: In a study of 7,498 men of Japanese ancestry in Hawaii, 18 incident cases of primary hepatocellular carcinoma were identified after the follow-up period of 13 years. Sixteen of the 18 patients had stored serum specimens available for analysis. Ten of the 16  had positive serum test results for hepatitis B surface antigen in their original specimens. None of 48 matched controls subjects, whose stored serum specimens were also analyzed, had similar positive test results. This finding indicates that hepatitis B surface antigenemia preceded primary hepatocellular carcinoma in many patients.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D006254:Hawaii; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000208:ethnology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens