Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and hepatitis C and B virus infection, alcohol intake, and hepatolithiasis: a case-control study in Italy.
OBJECTIVE
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a rare type of primary liver cancer (PLC) arising from intrahepatic bile ducts. We carried out a case-control study to assess the association between ICC and hepatitis B and C virus (HBV and HCV) infections, alcohol intake, and hepatolithiasis in Brescia, North Italy.


METHODS
Among 370 subjects with histology-based diagnosis of PLC who were resident in the area and hospitalized in 1995-2000, 26 (7%) ICC cases were identified. A total of 824 subjects unaffected by hepatic diseases and frequency-matched with PLC cases by age, sex, date, and hospital of admission were recruited as controls.


RESULTS
Among ICC cases the mean age was 65 years, 80.8% were males, and 38.5% had cirrhosis. Seropositivity for anti-HCV, HBsAg, alcohol intake >80 g/day and history of hepatolithiasis were found in 25%, 13%, 23.1%, and 26.9% of ICC cases and in 5.8%, 6.7%, 32.9%, and 10.6% of controls, respectively. The odds ratios adjusted for demographic factors by logistic regression (95% confidence interval; 95% CI) were 9.7 (1.6-58.9) for anti-HCV, 2.7 (0.4-18.4) for HBsAg, and 6.7 (1.3-33.4) for hepatolithiasis, whereas no association was found with alcohol drinking.


CONCLUSIONS
HCV and hepatolithiasis may be risk factors for ICC in Western countries.
Donato
F
F
Cattedra di Igiene, Università di Brescia, Italy. donato@med.unibs.it
Gelatti
U
U
Tagger
A
A
Favret
M
M
Ribero
M L
ML
Callea
F
F
Martelli
C
C
Savio
A
A
Trevisi
P
P
Nardi
G
G
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D020347:Lithiasis / Q000150:complications*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors