THE ROLE OF HEPATITIS-B AND HEPATITIS-C VIRUSES IN HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA IN A HEPATITIS-B ENDEMIC AREA - A CASE-CONTROL STUDY

To investigate the role of hepatitis B (HBV) and C viruses (HCV) in he patocellular carcinoma (HCC) in an HBV endemic area and elucidate the interaction of these two viruses, a case-control study of 128 patients with HCC and 384 age-matched and sex-matched control subjects was don e. The positive rates of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg, 77.3%, 99 of 128) and anti-HCV (19.5%, 25 of 128) in patients with HCC were sig nificantly higher than in control subjects (P < 0.001). Both HBsAg and anti-HCV were important risk factors for HCC (relative risks, 13.96 a nd 27.12, respectively), and the risk for HCC was elevated significant ly to 40.05 (95% confidence interval, 12.57 to 127.6) when HBsAg and a nti-HCV were considered simultaneously. These results suggested that H BV and HCV were associated highly with HCC in an HBV endemic area and that these two viruses might contribute independent but synergistic ef fects to the pathogenesis of HCC.