Surgical results in patients with hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma and positive hepatitis B early antigen.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the major risk factor in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Patients who are positive for hepatitis B early antigen (HBeAg) have active liver disease. The present study aimed to evaluate the possible role of HBeAg in patients with resectable HCC. A series of 249 HCC patients with complete preoperative hepatitis marker who had undergone potentially curative resection were enrolled. Patients with hepatitis C virus infection were excluded. Of these patients, 27 were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and HBeAg (group I), 171 were positive for HBsAg and negative for HBeAg (group II), and 51 were negative for hepatitis B markers (group III). The clinicopathologic features and postoperative survivals were compared among the three groups. The prevalence of HBeAg was 10.8%. Group I patients were significantly younger and had worse liver function, smaller tumors, and a higher incidence of liver cirrhosis and chronic active hepatitis than those in groups II and III. No increase in tumor invasiveness was noted in group I patients. The operative morbidity, mortality, and postresection survival were comparable among the three groups. Our findings indicated that HBeAg positivity is not a negative factor for resection in HCC patients and has no significant influence on postresection survival.
Chen
J H
JH
Department of Surgery, Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei 217, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Chau
G Y
GY
Lui
W Y
WY
Tsay
S H
SH
King
K L
KL
Loong
C C
CC
Hsia
C Y
CY
Wu
C W
CW
D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery* / Q000821:virology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens