Clinical study on relationship between hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatitis C virus infection in patients with chronic liver disease]

The relationship between hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was investigated. Antibody to hepatitis C virus was detected in 88.8% and 87.0% of 240 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and liver cirrhosis, respectively. A history of blood transfusion was shown in only 21.8% (21/96) of the HCV antibody positive HCC patients. Of 196 patients with chronic hepatitis type C and the HCV antibody positive liver cirrhosis, 10 developed HCC during the follow-up period of two years. A high prevalence of HCV antibody was also shown among 83 patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis and HCC associated with alcoholic liver cirrhosis. HCV-RNA was detected in all patients with alcoholic HCC. These data support a causal association between hepatitis C virus and hepatocellular carcinoma.