title: [A comparative cross-sectional study of the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with liver cirrhosis caused by hepatitis B virus, alcohol, or combination of hepatitis b virus and alcohol].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Alcohol may be a cocarcinogen in patients with chronic viral hepatitis. We investigated the effect of alcohol on the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in liver cirrhosis (LC) caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV).
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients with LC or HCC associated with HBV or alcohol, admitted between March 2001 and June 2005, were included. Patients were divided into three groups according to the etiology of LC: Alcohol (AL), HBV, or HBV alcohol (HBV AL). Age and laboratory data at the enrollment of study were analyzed. The logistic regression coefficiency for the prevalence of HCC was calculated by using variables such as age, gender, serologic markers, and etiology of LC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In LC patients (n=342), the proportions of AL, HBV, and HBV AL groups were 44%, 39%, and 17%, respectively. The proportions of HCC in AL, HBV and HBV AL groups were 17%, 55%, and 76%, respectively. Age at the diagnosis of HCC was younger in HBV AL than in AL group (p=0.036). In logistic regression analysis for the risk factor of HCC, odds ratio of age was 1.056 (p0.001). Odds ratios of HBV and HBV AL group comparing AL were 8.449 (p0.001) and 17.609 (p0.001), respectively. Therefore, old age and chronic alcohol intake in patients with HBsAg were the risk factors of HCC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chronic alcohol intake may be an additive factor for the development of HCC in patient with LC caused by HBV. However, a prospective cohort study is needed to confirm these findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Nak So
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Oh Sang
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Cheul Hee
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Young Nam
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Gwon Hyun
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Jong Jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Gil Hyun
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyun Ok
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kwang Il
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Sang Kyun
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Kwang An
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Yun Soo
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Duck Ju
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Ju Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006519:Hepatitis, Alcoholic / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors