Hepatocellular carcinoma in noncirrhotic young adult patients with chronic hepatitis B viral infection.
BACKGROUND
The aims of this study were to define the clinical characteristics of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in young adult patients without cirrhosis and to evaluate the efficacy of interferon (IFN) therapy on HCC recurrence.


METHODS
Of 187 patients with HBV-related HCC treated at our hospital, 4 had no liver cirrhosis and were less than 30 years of age (10, 22, 23, and 26 years).


RESULTS
At the time of diagnosis of HCC, all cases had antibody to hepatitis B e antigen (anti-HBe) and histological staging of nontumorous liver was F0 or F1, i.e., low-grade hepatitis. The mothers of all 4 young adult patients with HCC had HBV-related liver disease. Three cases developed recurrence of HCC. In these patients, long-term intermittent IFN therapy after reresection of HCC resulted in long-term survival without recurrence for more than 3 years of follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
(1) Young adult patients with HCC are positive for anti-HBe, lack cirrhosis, and the route of infection seems to be mother-to-infant transmission. Transplacental transmission of HBV and HBV DNA integration into the cellular genomic DNA during fetal life is a possible explanation of HBV-related hepatocarcinogenesis in young adults; and (2) long-term IFN therapy seems to be useful for prevention of tumor recurrence after radical operation for HBV-related HCC.
Sezaki
Hitomi
H
Department of Gastroenterology, Toranomon Hospital, 2-2-2 Toranomon, Minato-ku, 105-8470, Tokyo, Japan.
Kobayashi
Masahiro
M
Hosaka
Tetsuya
T
Someya
Takashi
T
Akuta
Norio
N
Suzuki
Fumitaka
F
Tsubota
Akihito
A
Suzuki
Yoshiyuki
Y
Saitoh
Satoshi
S
Arase
Yasuji
Y
Ikeda
Kenji
K
Kobayashi
Mariko
M
Matsuda
Marie
M
Takagi
Kimiko
K
Sato
Junko
J
Kumada
Hiromitsu
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000821:virology*; D002648:Child; D004279:DNA, Viral; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000235:genetics; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000235:genetics; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010920:Placenta / Q000821:virology
D004279:DNA, Viral