title: Effect of occult hepatitis B virus infection on the early-onset of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with hepatitis C virus infection.
abstract: Although overt hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection promotes the onset of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients, the effect of occult HBV infection remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of occult HBV infection on the early-onset of HCC in HCV-infected patients. A total of 173 HCC patients with HCV infection were enrolled and classified into 2 groups according to the median age of HCC onset: the early-onset group (n=91; 61.1±5.6 years) and the late-onset group (n=82; 73.8±3.7 years). Independent factors associated with the early-onset of HCC were assessed by multivariate analysis. In the overall analysis, independent risk factors for the early-onset of HCC were the white blood cell count and alanine aminotransferase level, but not the presence of HBV DNA. In a stratification analysis according to albumin levels of ≥3.5 g/dl, the presence of HBV DNA was a significant independent risk factor for the early-onset of HCC (OR 145.18, 95% CI 1.38-15296.61, P=0.036), whereas the presence of antibodies against hepatitis B core antigen was not found to be a risk factor. The presence of HBV DNA was not a risk factor for the early-onset of HCC in the overall analysis. However, its presence was an independent factor for the early-onset of HCC in HCV-infected patients with an albumin level of ≥3.5 g/dl. Thus, occult HBV infection may accelerate hepatocarcino-genesis in HCV-infected patients with relatively low carcinogenic potential.
authors: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan.
authors: Masahito
authors: M
authors: Nakano
authors: Takumi
authors: T
authors: Kawaguchi
authors: Shingo
authors: S
authors: Nakamoto
authors: Atsushi
authors: A
authors: Kawaguchi
authors: Tatsuo
authors: T
authors: Kanda
authors: Fumio
authors: F
authors: Imazeki
authors: Ryoko
authors: R
authors: Kuromatsu
authors: Shuji
authors: S
authors: Sumie
authors: Manabu
authors: M
authors: Satani
authors: Shingo
authors: S
authors: Yamada
authors: Takuji
authors: T
authors: Torimura
authors: Tatsuyuki
authors: T
authors: Kakuma
authors: Osamu
authors: O
authors: Yokosuka
authors: Michio
authors: M
authors: Sata
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D000410:Alanine Transaminase