RELATION BETWEEN MARKERS FOR VIRAL-HEPATITIS AND CLINICAL-FEATURES OFJAPANESE PATIENTS WITH HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA - POSSIBLE ROLE OF ALCOHOL IN PROMOTING CARCINOGENESIS

To assess the relationship between hepatitis virus markers and the cli nical features of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), we measured markers for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 88 Japanese patients with HCC. Twelve (14%) patients were HBsAg-positive and 67 ( 76%) were anti-HCV-positive (both c100-3 and c11/c7). HCV-RNA was dete cted in 8 (38%) of the 21 anti-HCV-negative patients by PCR, so that 7 5 patients (85%) were infected with HCV. Of the HBsAg-negative patient s infected with HCV with no history of blood transfusion, the mean age of the alcoholics (consumption > 80 g ethanol daily for at least 10 y ears) was lower than that of the nonalcoholics (60 years vs. 65 years, P < 0.05). Among the HBsAg-negative and anti-HCV (or HCV-RNA)-positiv e patients with a history of blood transfusion, the mean interval betw een the time of blood transfusion and the diagnosis of HCC in the alco holics was shorter (21 years) than that in the nonalcoholics (27 years ), but the difference was not statistically significant. We conclude t hat infection by both HCV and HBV may play a role in the development o f HCC, and that alcohol consumption may promote carcinogenesis.