title: Previous or occult hepatitis B virus infection in hepatitis C virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma without hepatic fibrosis.
abstract: We investigated the role of hepatitis B virus infection in development of hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatitis C virus-infected patients without hepatic fibrosis. Of 253 patients, 8 lacked hepatic fibrosis (group 1); group 2 included the remaining 245 patients. Clinicopathologic findings were compared between the groups. Hepatitis B x gene was sought in cancers and adjoining noncancerous liver. Group 1 showed better liver function parameters and milder active hepatitis than group 2. The proportion of patients with anti-hepatitis B virus antibody tended to be higher in group 1 than in group 2. The proportion of patients with hepatitis B x RNA in cancers was significantly higher in group 1 than in group 2. All group 1 patients had previous or occult hepatitis B virus infection. Previous or occult hepatitis B virus infection may be critical in development of hepatocellular carcinomas in hepatitis C virus-infected patients without hepatic fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, Osaka City University Medical School, Asahimachi, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kubo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tamori
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohba
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shuto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishiguchi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wakasa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirohashi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000821:virology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral