title: Lower serum viral loads in young patients with hepatitis-B-virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: Advanced age and high hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA level are risk factors associated with the development of HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, little is known about the role of viral load in the carcinogenesis of HCC in young people. A total of 183 HBV-related HCC patients and 202 HBV carriers were therefore enrolled to compare serum viral loads in young (</=40 years of age) and old (>40 years of age) age groups. Other factors associated with the development of HCC were also analysed. The results showed that serum alanine aminotransferase (38.7 +/- 24.1 vs 58.4 +/- 65.4 IU/L, P = 0.006) and HBV DNA levels (log(10) titre: 4.20 +/- 1.33 vs 4.80 +/- 1.39, P = 0.053) were lower in young HCC patients than in old HCC patients. There was a positive correlation between age and serum HBV DNA level in HCC patients but a negative correlation in HBV carriers. Young HCC patients with HBV genotype B infection had higher viral loads than those with genotype C infection (log(10) titre: 4.79 +/- 1.34 vs 3.27 +/- 0.60, P = 0.001). By multivariate logistic regression analyses, high serum HBV DNA level was associated with the development of HCC in old patients [odds ratio (OR) 1.584, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.075-2.333] rather than in young patients (OR 0.848, 95% CI 0.645-1.116). In conclusion, viral factors in association with the development of HBV-related HCC in young patients may be different from their old counterparts. The complicated interplay between host and virus could be responsible for the emergence and aggressive outcome of early-onset HCC.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: F-C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: C-J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: C-L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: P-J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: M-Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: J-H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: D-S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000821:virology*; D002353:Carrier State / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000821:virology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D044967:Serum / Q000821:virology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase