title: Surgical results in patients with hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma and positive hepatitis B early antigen.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei 217, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: G Y
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Chau
authors.forename: W Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Lui
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Tsay
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Loong
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Hsia
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens