title: Effect of alcohol, cigarette smoking, and diabetes on occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with transfusion-acquired hepatitis C virus infection who develop cirrhosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Alcohol drinking, cigarette smoking, and diabetes have been claimed as risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma in case-control studies. The aim of this study was to define the impact of these risk factors on the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatitis C virus-related liver cirrhosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A historical cohort of 138 patients with posttransfusion hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis was selected by reviewing all files of patients referred to our liver unit. Sixty-three of them (46%) developed hepatocellular carcinoma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At univariate analysis, risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma were observed in patients aged above 59 years [P=0.004; relative risk (RR): 2.08, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.19-3.68], male sex (P<0.001; RR: 2.48, 95% CI: 1.59-3.87), habit of alcohol drinking (P=0.001; RR: 1.89, 95% CI: 1.24-2.88), and duration of alcohol consumption of more than 30 years (P=0.02; RR: 2.08, 95% CI: 0.98-4.40). At Cox regression analysis, only male sex was an independent predictive factor (beta=0.86; P=0.002; hazard ratio=2.4, 95% CI: 1.3-4.1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diabetes, smoking, and alcohol drinking were not independently related to the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hepatology, Cardarelli Hospital, Napoli, Italy. ggdicostanzo@libero.it
authors.forename: Giovan Giuseppe
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Di Costanzo
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Luca
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tritto
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lampasi
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Addario
authors.forename: Alfonso Galeota
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Lanza
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Tartaglione
authors.forename: Francesco Paolo
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Picciotto
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ascione
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000209:etiology* / Q000821:virology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D065227:Transfusion Reaction