Hepatitis B virus gene in liver tissue promotes hepatocellular carcinoma development in chronic hepatitis C patients.
The hepatitis B virus (HBV) gene has been detected in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissue negative for the hepatitis B surface antigen and positive for the hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody, but the precise role of the HBV gene in hepatocarcinogenesis has yet to be clarified. We studied the HBV gene in liver tissue several years before the emergence of HCC. Eleven patients diagnosed with HCV-positive chronic liver disease and who developed HCC were assigned to group A. HBV DNA was detected in 8 of the 11 patients (73%). Twenty-five patients, who did not develop HCC, were selected as group B. Six of the group B patients were classified as DNA-positive (24%). The HBV DNA in liver tissue was found to be significantly related to HCC development (P < 0.01). Thus, the presence of the HBV gene in patients with chronic HCV associated-liver injury appears to promote hepatocarcinogenesis, although prospective studies are needed to confirm this result.
Fujioka
Shin-Ichi
S
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Okayama University Medical School, Okayama, Japan.
Shimomura
Hiroyuki
H
Iwasaki
Yoshiaki
Y
Fujio
Kozo
K
Nakagawa
Hiroshi
H
Onishi
Yasuhiro
Y
Takagi
Shinjiro
S
Taniguchi
Hideaki
H
Umeoka
Fumi
F
Nakajima
Hirofumi
H
Moriya
Akio
A
Nanba
Katsuyuki
K
Piao
Cheng-Yu
CY
Shinji
Toshiyuki
T
Koide
Norio
N
Shiratori
Yasush
Y
D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000821:virology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged