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A high prevalence of antibody to the hepatitis C virus in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in Japan

Authors :
Michael Houghton
Takao Tsuji
Michitami Yano
Shiro Iino
Hiroshi Suzuki
Kusuya Nishioka
Eiji Tanaka
Junnosuke Watanabe
George Kuo
Qui-Lim Choo
Toshitsugu Oda
Seiichi Furuta
Source :
Cancer. 67:429-433
Publication Year :
1991
Publisher :
Wiley, 1991.

Abstract

In Japan, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent cancers, with a reported fatality rate showing a consistent and significant increase in the last decade. At most, only 25% of HCC cases are positive for the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). To investigate a potential role for hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the development of HCC, sera from 105 HBsAg-negative HCC patients were collected from five districts of Japan and assayed for antibody to HCV antigen (HCVAb). A large number of these patients (76.2%) were found to be positive for the HCVAb in comparison with the reported prevalence in sera from blood donors (1.1%). A history of blood transfusion was found in 39.6% of the cases positive for HCVAb, which was significantly different to the lower rate (4.7%) observed in HCC patients who were both positive for HBsAg and negative for HCVAb (P less than 0.001).

Details

ISSN :
10970142 and 0008543X
Volume :
67
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Cancer
Accession number :
edsair.doi...........4f46c5dcb3b1c0035d0813e6bc1480ff
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-0142(19910115)67:2<429::aid-cncr2820670218>3.0.co;2-#