Effect of alcohol, cigarette smoking, and diabetes on occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with transfusion-acquired hepatitis C virus infection who develop cirrhosis.
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.
Di Costanzo
Giovan Giuseppe
GG
Division of Hepatology, Cardarelli Hospital, Napoli, Italy. ggdicostanzo@libero.it
De Luca
Massimo
M
Tritto
Giovanni
G
Lampasi
Filippo
F
Addario
Luigi
L
Lanza
Alfonso Galeota
AG
Tartaglione
Maria Teresa
MT
Picciotto
Francesco Paolo
FP
Ascione
Antonio
A
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