HCV-ASSOCIATED LIVER-CANCER WITHOUT CIRRHOSIS

Chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is regarded as a risk f actor for hepatocellular cancer, mostly in patients with liver cirrhos is. We looked for HCV genomes in the livers of patients with hepatocel lular cancer who did not have cirrhosis to see whether HCV was directl y oncogenic. Cancerous and non-cancerous liver tissue, and serum sampl es from 19 patients negative for hepatitis B surface antigen were anal ysed by polymerase chain reaction for the presence of HCV genome, HCV replication, HCV genotyping, and HBV genome. 13 of 19 patients were HC V RNA-positive in cancerous and non-cancerous liver tissue; 8 of 17 te sted were anti-HCV positive. Among the 13 HCV RNA-positive patients, 1 1 had genotype 1b and 2 had genotype 2a. 7 of 13 serum samples were HC V RNA positive. 7 of 19 patients were HBV DNA positive in cancerous an d non-cancerous liver tissue, 5 of them anti-HBc positive. 4 patients were both HCV RNA and HBV DNA positive and 3 were both HCV RNA and HBV DNA negative. Our results provide evidence for the association of HCV , mostly genotype 1b, with hepatocellular cancer without the intermedi ate. step of cirrhosis.