Prevalence of Anti-HCV in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma

To investigate the prevalence of antibody against hepatitis C virus(HCV), anti-HCV wasdetected by enzyme immunoassay in 170 patients with liver cirrhosis, 77 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, and 100 healthy controls.

The results were as follows :

1) Prevalence of anti-HCV was 15.3% in liver cirhosis and 9.1% in hepatocellular carcinomabut no significant difference was found between two groups. Anti-HCV was not detected inhealthy control group. prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg) was 3% in healthycontrol, 52.9% in liver cirrhosis, and 72.7% in hepatocelltular carcinoma.

2) Prevalence of anti HCV in HBsAg positive patients with liver cirrhosis was 2.2% and30.0% in HBsAg negative patients. In HBs Ag negaive patients with liver cirrhosis, the prevalenceof anti-HCV was 40.9% in patients with antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc)only, 21.1% in patients with anti-HBc and antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen(anti-HBs),and 35.0% in patients with no HBV markers.

3) Anti-HCV was not detected in HBsAg positive patients with hepatocellular carcinoma,but the prevalence of anti-HCV was 33.3% in HBsAg negative patients. In HBsAg negativepatients with hepatoccllular carcinoma, the prevalence of anti-HCV was 12.5% in patients withanti-HBc only, 45.5% in patients with anti-HBc and anti-HBs, and 50.0% in patients withno HBV markers.

4) In studying the relation of anti-HBc and anti-HCV in HBsAg negative patients withliver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, prevalence of isolated anti-HCV, positive for bothanti-HBc and anti-HCV, negative for both anti-HBc and anti-HCV showed no significant difference between two groups. Prevalence of isolated anti-HBc showed significant difference betweentwo groups(p<0.01).

According, it is suggested that the most important factor in the pathogenesis of liver cirrhosisand hepatocellular carcinoma in Korea is HBV but in HBsAg negative patients, HCV is suggested to play an important etiologic role. In endemic areas of HBV such as Korea, whetherHCV acts in the process of development of hepatocellular carcinoma from liver cirrhosis andwhether HCV superinfection modifies the natural course of chronic HBV infection need furtherinvestigation.