Clinicopathologic study on hepatocellular carcinoma negative for hepatitis B surface antigen and antibody to hepatitis C virus.
Among 326 consecutively resected cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), we studied clinicopathologic features of 13 cases (NBNC-HCC) negative for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody to HBsAg (HBsAb), antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAb), hepatitis B envelope antigen (HBeAg), antibody to HBeAg (HBeAb), and antibody to hepatitis C virus (HCVAb). Forty-four HCC cases positive only for HBsAg (B-HCC) and 232 cases positive only for HCVAb (C-HCC) were studied as controls. Clinically, NBNC-HCC cases showed good liver function reserve. None of NBNC-HCC cases had periodic medical check ups and HCC was detected in 12 cases (92.3%) incidentally. Pathologically, the mean tumor diameter was significantly larger and the histologic grade was less differentiated in NBNC-HCC cases than in B-HCC and C-HCC cases. In the background liver, liver cirrhosis was associated in 15.4% of NBNC-HCC cases, 50.0% of B-HCC and 38.2% of C-HCC cases. The degree of inflammation and fibrosis was less in NBNC-HCC cases, and two cases (15.4%) had almost normal liver histology. In NBNC-HCC cases, synchronous and metachronous multicentric occurrence was not observed. In B-HCC cases, synchronous multicentric occurrence was found in 1 case (20.0%), but no metachronous multicentric occurrence. In C-HCC cases, synchronous and metachronous multicentric occurrence was found in 13 (43.3%) and 8 (30.8%) cases, respectively. However, the cumulative recurrence-free rate was not significantly different among the three groups. Accordingly, it was suggested that better prognosis could be expected in NBNC-HCC cases compared with B- and C-HCC cases, if the cancer could be detected in the early stage.
Noguchi
K
K
Department of Pathology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume-shi, Fukuoka 830-0011, Japan. nogunogu@intmed3.kyushu-u.ac.jp
Nakashima
O
O
Nakashima
Y
Y
Shiota
K
K
Nawata
H
H
Kojiro
M
M
D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D016019:Survival Analysis
D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase