[Pathogenetic role of HBV in liver cell carcinoma of Western European patients].
Tumour (n = 338) and corresponding liver tissue (n = 276) of liver cell carcinoma (LCC) patients including 31 Asiatic cases was studied with immunohistochemical methods (IHC) for the expression of HBs (7MABs and 2 PABs), HBc, HBe, HBx, and preS antigens. HBV-DNA was detected with in situ hybridisation (ISH) employing digoxigenin-labeled DNA probes. Furthermore, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was done for a part of the X-ORF (1542+, 1746-). Tumours from the European patients were fibrolamellar (FLC; n = 8), hepatocellular (HCC; n = 260), mixed hepatocellular/cholangiocellular (HCC/CCC; n = 23), and pure cholangiocellular carcinomas (CCC; n = 16). Of the Asiatic cases, 56.5% contained HBs in liver and 64.5% in tumour tissue, of the European cases these were 21.7% and 29.6%, respectively. HBc, HBe, and preS antigens were found only in few cases. HBV positive rates with ISH were 82.6% and 87.1% for Asiatic, and 45.3% and 51.7% for European cases, respectively. Altogether, 93.6% of the Asiatic and 64.2% of the European patients were positive for HBV with IHC or ISH. HCC/CCC and CCC showed slightly lower HBV positive rates than HCC. Over 90% of the cases had HBx in liver and tumour tissue. PCR revealed HBV positive rates of 73.2% for liver and 90.1% for tumour tissue irrespective of patients descent and tumour type. Thus, HBV seems to represent a pathogenetic factor for LCC in Western European patients irrespective of the tumour type. The existence of the "mixed tumours" HCC/CCC as well as the frequent HBV-positivity of tumours with cholangiocellular differentiation document that CCC belong to the category LCC.
Herrmann
G
G
Senckenbergisches Zentrum der Pathologie, Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, BRD.
Gregel
C
C
Hübner
K
K
D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies; D001208:Asia / Q000208:ethnology; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D015342:DNA Probes; D005060:Europe; D006041:Goats / Q000276:immunology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D051379:Mice / Q000276:immunology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011817:Rabbits / Q000276:immunology; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000906:Antibodies; D015342:DNA Probes; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens