Lifestyle risk factors for intrahepatic stone: findings from a case-control study in an endemic area, Taiwan.
OBJECTIVE
To examine associations between lifestyle risk factors and intrahepatic stone (IHS), we conducted a case-control study in Taiwan, which has the highest incidence of IHS in the world.


METHODS
Study subjects were 151 patients newly diagnosed with IHS at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital between January 1999 and December 2001. Two control subjects per case were selected randomly from patients who underwent minor surgery at the same hospital and from family members or neighbors of the hospital staff. Controls were matched to each case by age and gender. Information on lifestyle factors was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Strength of associations was assessed using odds ratios derived from conditional logistic models.


RESULTS
Female patients were significantly shorter than female controls. Compared to subjects with two or fewer children, odds ratios for those with six or more children were 20.4 in men (95% confidence interval, 1.89-221) and 2.82 (0.97-8.22) in women. Increasing level of education lowered the risk of intrahepatic stone (trend P = 0.004 for men and < 0.0001 for women). Women who had consumed ground-surface water for a long period had a somewhat increased risk (trend P = 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Lower socioeconomic status and poor hygiene may be involved in the development of intrahepatic stones.
Momiyama
Masato
M
Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan. m-momi@ka2.so-net.ne.jp
Wakai
Kenji
K
Oda
Koji
K
Kamiya
Junichi
J
Ohno
Yoshiyuki
Y
Hamaguchi
Michinari
M
Nakanuma
Yasuni
Y
Hsieh
Ling-Ling
LL
Yeh
Ta-Sen
TS
Chen
Tse-Ching
TC
Jan
Yi-Yi
YY
Chen
Miin-Fu
MF
Nimura
Yuji
Y
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic / Q000473:pathology*; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014881:Water Supply