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. 2013 Jan 15;108(1):222-8.
doi: 10.1038/bjc.2012.492. Epub 2012 Nov 20.

Metabolic syndrome and hepatocellular carcinoma risk

F Turati  1 , R Talamini, C Pelucchi, J Polesel, S Franceschi, A Crispo, F Izzo, C La Vecchia, P Boffetta, M Montella
Affiliations

Metabolic syndrome and hepatocellular carcinoma risk

F Turati et al. Br J Cancer. .

Abstract

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been associated to diabetes and obesity, but a possible association with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its potential interaction with hepatitis is open to discussion.

Methods: We analysed data from an Italian case-control study, including 185 HCC cases and 404 controls. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed from unconditional logistic regression models.

Results: Among the MetS components, diabetes and obesity (i.e, body mass index (BMI)≥30 kg m(-2)) were positively associated to HCC risk, with ORs of 4.33 (95% CI, 1.89-9.86) and 1.97 (95% CI, 1.03-3.79), respectively. The ORs for the MetS were 4.06 (95% CI, 1.33-12.38) defining obesity as BMI≥25, and 1.92 (95% CI, 0.38-9.76) defining it as BMI≥30. The risk increased with the number of MetS components, up to an almost four-fold excess risk among subjects with ≥2 MetS factors. Among subjects without chronic infection with hepatitis B and/or C, the OR for those with ≥2 MetS components was over six-fold elevated. There was no consistent association in subjects with serological evidence of hepatitis B and/or C infection.

Conclusion: This study found that the risk of HCC increases with the number of MetS components in subjects not chronically infected with hepatitis viruses.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution of 185 hepatocellular carcinoma cases and 404 controls, odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) according to the combination of diabetes and overweight. Italy, 1999–2002. ORs were estimated from unconditional logistic regression model adjusted for centre, sex, age, education, drinking status, maximum lifetime alcohol intake, smoking habits, HBsAg and/or anti-HCV positivity, and non-alcohol energy intake. Overweight was defined as BMI ⩾25 kg m−2.
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