Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2011 Aug;54(2):434-42.
doi: 10.1002/hep.24257.

Occult and previous hepatitis B virus infection are not associated with hepatocellular carcinoma in United States patients with chronic hepatitis C

Collaborators, Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Occult and previous hepatitis B virus infection are not associated with hepatocellular carcinoma in United States patients with chronic hepatitis C

Anna S Lok et al. Hepatology. 2011 Aug.

Abstract

Previous studies have suggested that prior exposure to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection may increase the risk of development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis C. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of previous or occult HBV infection in a cohort of hepatitis B surface antigen-negative patients with histologically advanced chronic hepatitis C in the United States who did or did not develop HCC. Stored sera from 91 patients with HCC and 182 matched controls who participated in the Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-term Treatment against Cirrhosis (HALT-C) Trial were tested for hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc), hepatitis B surface antibody, and HBV DNA. Frozen liver samples from 28 HCC cases and 55 controls were tested for HBV DNA by way of real-time polymerase chain reaction. Anti-HBc (as a marker of previous HBV infection) was present in the serum of 41.8% HCC cases and 45.6% controls (P=0.54); anti-HBc alone was present in 16.5% of HCC cases and 24.7% of controls. HBV DNA was detected in the serum of only one control subject and no patients with HCC. HBV DNA (as a marker of occult HBV infection) was detected in the livers of 10.7% of HCC cases and 23.6% of controls (P=0.18).

Conclusion: Although almost half the patients in the HALT-C Trial had serological evidence of previous HBV infection, there was no difference in prevalence of anti-HBc in serum or HBV DNA in liver between patients who did or did not develop HCC. In the United States, neither previous nor occult HBV infection is an important factor in HCC development among patients with advanced chronic hepatitis C.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00006164.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Prevalence of anti-HBc and anti-HBs in the serum of HCC cases (n=91) and matched controls (n=182)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Prevalence of HBV DNA in the liver of HCC cases (n=28) and matched controls (n=55)

Comment in

References

    1. Raimondo G, Allain JP, Brunetto MR, Buendia MA, Chen DS, Colombo M, et al. Statements from the Taormina expert meeting on occult hepatitis B virus infection. J Hepatol. 2008;49(4):652–7. - PubMed
    1. Torbenson M, Thomas DL. Occult hepatitis B. Lancet Infect Dis. 2002;2(8):479–86. - PubMed
    1. Brechot C, Thiers V, Kremsdorf D, Nalpas B, Pol S, Paterlini-Brechot P. Persistent hepatitis B virus infection in subjects without hepatitis B surface antigen: clinically significant or purely “occult”? [see comments] Hepatology. 2001;34(1):194–203. - PubMed
    1. Pollicino T, Squadrito G, Cerenzia G, Cacciola I, Raffa G, Craxi A, et al. Hepatitis B virus maintains its pro-oncogenic properties in the case of occult HBV infection. Gastroenterology. 2004;126(1):102–10. - PubMed
    1. Di Bisceglie AM, Shiffman ML, Everson GT, Lindsay KL, Everhart JE, Wright EC, et al. Prolonged therapy of advanced chronic hepatitis C with low-dose peginterferon. N Engl J Med. 2008;359(23):2429–41. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

Substances

Associated data

Grants and funding