Occult and previous hepatitis B virus infection are not associated with hepatocellular carcinoma in United States patients with chronic hepatitis C
Year: 2011
Type: article
Abstract: UNLABELLED: Previous studies have suggested that prior exposure to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection may increase the risk of development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis C. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of previous or occult HBV infection in a cohort of hepatitis B surface antigen-negative patients with histologically advanced chronic hepatitis C in the United States who did or did not develop HCC. Stored sera from 91 patients with HCC and 182 matched controls who participated in the Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-term Treatment against Cirrhosis (HALT-C) Trial were tested for hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc), hepatitis B surface antibody, and HBV DNA. Frozen liver samples from 28 HCC cases and 55 controls were tested for HBV DNA by way of real-time polymerase chain reaction. Anti-HBc (as a marker of previous HBV infection) was present in the serum of 41.8% HCC cases and 45.6% controls (P=0.54); anti-HBc alone was present in 16.5% of HCC cases and 24.7% of controls. HBV DNA was detected in the serum of only one control subject and no patients with HCC. HBV DNA (as a marker of occult HBV infection) was detected in the livers of 10.7% of HCC cases and 23.6% of controls (P=0.18). CONCLUSION: Although almost half the patients in the HALT-C Trial had serological evidence of previous HBV infection, there was no difference in prevalence of anti-HBc in serum or HBV DNA in liver between patients who did or did not develop HCC. In the United States, neither previous nor occult HBV infection is an important factor in HCC development among patients with advanced chronic hepatitis C.
Source: Hepatology
DOI: 10.1002/hep.24257
Language: English
Topic: Hepatitis B Virus Studies
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Funders: Massachusetts General Hospital, University of Southern California, Harvard Catalyst, University of Connecticut, University of Washington, Virginia Commonwealth University, Saint Louis University, National Institutes of Health, Genentech, University of California, Irvine, University of Colorado Denver, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Center for Research Resources, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
Awards: G1004247942, G1008791772, G1016094800, G1500039052, G1638345366, G1740463284, GENERAL CLINICAL RESEARCH CENTER, G1872674494, G1952602728, G220748524, G2383253098, G2496518617, G2527449299, General Clinical Research Center, G2718263081, Hepatitis C Clinical Trial-Clinical Center, G3277324657, G3350686849, Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center (UL1), General Clinical Research Center, General Clinical Research Center, G3740841103, G3994153766, G420249297, G4310905822, G4627513917, Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research (MICHR) (UL1), North and Central Texas Clinical and Translational Science Initiative (UL1), G57319417, General Clinical Research Center, General Clinical Research Center, G6073674831, G635792350, G645260498, G6559552646, G7557510160, G769717368, General Clinical Research Center, G838905924, G848270291, G881343144, General Clinical Research Center, G9000328944, G937870883, Colorado Clinical and Translational Science Institute (UL1)
OpenAlex ID: W1980768494