title: Postoperative outcomes of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma negative for all virus-related markers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The outcomes of patients with resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) negative for all virus-related markers have not yet been characterized. This study investigated the outcomes of such patients in comparison to those who had virus-related resectable HCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 398 patients with HCC were divided into 2 groups, comprising patients in which all virus-related markers (HBs-Ag, HBs-Ab, HBe-Ag, HBe-Ab, HBc-Ab, HCV-Ab) were negative (all-negative group, n = 63) and those with at least 1 positive virus-related marker (virus-related group, n = 335). The clinical characteristics, surgical data, and survival rates were compared between the groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum AST (30 vs. 45 IU/l, P < 0.0001) and ALT (21 vs. 42 IU/l, P < 0.0001) levels were significantly lower in the all-negative group than in the virus-related group. The tumor size (4.3 vs. 3.1 cm, P < 0.0001), the prevalence of DM (46.8 vs. 25.4 %, P = 0.001), and BMI (24.8 vs. 22.9, P = 0.0023) were significantly higher in the all-negative group than in the virus-related group. HCC arose from a cirrhotic liver in a significantly higher proportion of patients in the virus-related group than in the all-negative group (20.6 vs. 44.8 %, P = 0.0002). The survival outcomes were not significantly different in the 2 groups (all-negative vs. virus-related: 5-year overall survival rate, 58.2 vs. 55.2 %, P = 0.27), despite such differences in the patients' characteristics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The postoperative outcomes of patients with HCC are independent of the presence or absence of hepatitis viral infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Digestive Surgery, Nihon University School of Medicine, 30-1 Ohyaguchikami-machi, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-8610, Japan.
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yamato
authors.forename: Tadatoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takayama
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Midorikawa
authors.forename: Tokio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Higaki
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: Masamichi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moriguchi
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Shunichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsuoka
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Mitsuhiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moriyama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery* / Q000821:virology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies