title: Hepatitis B virus DNA integration frequently observed in the hepatocellular carcinoma DNA of hepatitis C virus-infected patients.
abstract: Human hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are two major etiologic agents of chronic hepatitis, which is closely related to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We investigated the role of HBV coinfection in ongoing HCV-related liver diseases in HCV-infected patients. We found a high prevalence of anti-HBc in anti-HCV-positive/HBsAg-negative HCC patients and also found a close correlation between anti-HBc positivity and integration of HBV DNA into HCC DNA of anti-HCV-positive/HBsAg-negative patients. The present data suggest that integrated HBV DNA may play an important role in the development of HCC in the anti-HCV-positive/HBsAg-negative patients carrying the anti-HBc antibody.
authors.affiliation: CHIBA UNIV,SCH MED,DEPT SURG,CHUO KU,CHIBA 260,JAPAN. CANC INST HOSP,DEPT INTERNAL MED,TOSHIMA KU,TOKYO 170,JAPAN.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koike
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takada
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Urashima
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saigo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Isono
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fujii