Significance of HBV DNA in the hepatic parenchyma from patients with non-B, non-C hepatocellular carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
The etiologic and prognostic factors for non-B, non-C hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is defined by its seronegativity for both hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody, remain unclear.


METHODS
Nonneoplastic liver tissue from 46 patients with non-B, non-C HCC were examined for hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA and HCV RNA using in situ hybridization. Recurrence-free survival rates were compared between patients showing high or low HBV DNA expression. Other potential prognostic factors were examined as well.


RESULTS
HBV DNA was detected in nonneoplastic liver specimens from 35 patents (76.1%), whereas HCV RNA was not detected in any case. In patents with high HBV DNA group expression, recurrence-free survival rates at 1 and 5 years after onset were 68.8% and 13.8%, respectively; those with low expression had higher rates of 89.2% and 59.2%, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified high tumor stage (P=0.042) and high HBV DNA expression (p=0.014) as independent negative prognostic factors.


CONCLUSIONS
In many patients with non-B, non-C HCC, HBV DNA in the liver appears to be involved in the carcinogenesis, with intense HBV DNA expression predicting poor outcome for patients with these cancers.
Nakai
Takuya
T
Department of Surgery, Kinki University School of Medicine, 377-2 Ohno-higashi, Osaka-sayama, Osaka, 589-8511, Japan. nakai@surg.med.kindai.ac.jp
Shiraishi
Osamu
O
Kawabe
Takashi
T
Ota
Hideo
H
Nagano
Hiroaki
H
Shiozaki
Hitoshi
H
D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral