title: Hepatitis C antibody and cryoglobulins in patients with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess: (1) the role of hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and alcoholism as risk factors for hepatocarcinoma (HCC) in patients with liver cirrhosis, and (2) the presence of cryoglobulins in HCV + patients with and without HCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  82 cirrhotic patients, 41 with and 41 without HCC, who were admitted consecutively to our General Medicine Division from January 1992 to June 1994, were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of HBV markers, anti-HCV and alcoholism in patients with liver cirrhosis and HCC was 39%, 63.4% and 24%, and in cirrhotics without HCC it was 31.7%, 51.2% and 63.4%, respectively. Cryoglobulins were present in 87.5% of the patients with HCC (78.5% anti-HCV +) and in 57.8% of the patients without HCC (81.8% anti-HCV +). The cryoglobulins, as characterized in 11 cases, were type III in nine cases and type II in two.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with cirrhosis, especially when associated with HCV and HBV infection, are at high risk for HCC and therefore require careful follow-up. Moreover, a strong association between HCV and the cryoglobulins in cirrhotics with and without HCC was evident, thus supporting the possible role of this virus in stimulating lymphocytes to produce cryoglobulins.
authors.affiliation: 1st Division of Medicine, Saronno Hospital, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rinaldi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Saccardo
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Petrozzino
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bossi
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Manna
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Monti
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology*; D003450:Cryoglobulins / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D003450:Cryoglobulins; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies