DETECTION OF HEPATITIS-C VIRUS-REPLICATION IN OVARIAN METASTASES OF APATIENT WITH HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common human cancers with an annual incidence of about 1 000 000 cases worldwide. Although hepat ocellular carcinoma is predominant in hepatitis B virus endemic areas, it has also become a major problem in Europe, Japan and North America in close association with the increasing incidence of hepatitis C vir us infection. The pathogenetic role of hepatitis C virus infection in the development of HBsAg-negative hepatocellular carcinoma needs to be clarified. In this paper the case of a 66-year-old HBsAg-negative and anti-HCV positive female who developed hepatocellular carcinoma in a cirrhotic liver is reported. After 1 year of follow up, urgent laparot omy had to be performed due to highly differentiated ovarian metastase s of the hepatocellular carcinoma. Plus- and minus-stranded HCV-RNA wa s detected by reverse transcription and ''nested'' polymerase chain re action in both the patient's serum and in the metastatic ovarian tissu e. (C) Journal of Hepatology.