HIGH PREVALENCE OF HEPATITIS-C VIRUS-INFECTION IN SCHISTOSOMIASIS-JAPONICA PATIENTS ASSOCIATED WITH HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA

Schistosomiasis japonica (SCJ) patients frequently develop hepatocellu lar carcinoma (HCC). This study investigated relationship between SCJ infection, hepatitis virus infection, and incidence of HCC, in 25 pati ents with chronic SCJ infection and HCC (SCJ with HCC group), 51 patie nts with chronic SCJ infection without HCC (SCJ group) and 65 HCC pati ents without SCJ (HCC group). Number of patients who were positive to HBsAg or hepatitis B virus DNA were 4 (16.0%) in the SCJ with HCC grou p, none (0%) in the SCJ group, and 5 (7.9%) in the HCC group; while nu mber of patients who were positive to anti-hepatitis C virus antibody were 21 (87.5%) in the SCJ with HCC group, 3 (5.9%) in the SCJ group, and 58 (84.6%) in the HCC group. Biopsy was performed for all patients , and background histological features of each specimen were evaluated based on the histological activity index scoring system. Mean scores of inflammatory changes in both the portal area and parenchyma in the SCJ with HCC group were significantly higher than those in the SCJ gro up. Nodular formation which is common in post-viral hepatitis was freq uently observed in the SCJ with HCC group, and histological changes in non-cancerous area of the SCJ with HCC group showed the characteristi cs of chronic viral hepatitis. We conclude that infection of hepatitis virus, particularly hepatitis C virus, affects synergistically on the hepatocarcinogenesis in patients having SCJ infection.