title: Prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection and risk for hepatocellular carcinoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma in AIDS.
abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is highly prevalent in some subpopulations with AIDS. HCV is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and possibly non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), but the impact of AIDS on these associations is uncertain. We used U.S. registry data to study HCC and NHL risk in 304,411 adults with AIDS, comparing cohort subgroups with high prevalence (hemophiliacs and injection drug users) or low prevalence (homosexual men, heterosexuals, and others) of HCV infection. The ratio of observed to expected cancer cases (standardized incidence ratio [SIR]) measured risk relative to the general population. Sixty-one HCC cases were observed (SIR, 7.5; 95% confidence interval, 5.7-9.6). Risk for HCC was higher in subgroups with high prevalence of HCV infection than in subgroups with low prevalence of HCV infection (SIR: 11.4 versus 5.5, respectively; p =.004). Subjects developed the following NHL grades: low, 35 cases; intermediate, 1035 cases; high, 784 cases; and unspecified, 1395 cases. For each NHL grade, SIRs were highest in subgroups with low prevalence of HCV infection. These data suggest an effect of HCV infection on HCC risk among adults with AIDS. On the other hand, NHL risk was not higher for groups in whom HCV infection was prevalent.
authors.affiliation: Viral Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute/NIH, 6120 Executive Boulevard, EPS 8010, Rockville, MD 20892, USA. engelse@exchange.nih.gov
authors.forename: Eric A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Engels
authors.forename: Morten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frisch
authors.forename: Jay H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lubin
authors.forename: Mitchell H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Gail
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Biggar
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Goedert
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000150:complications; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D000328:Adult; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000150:complications*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000150:complications; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012306:Risk; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications