To investigate the prevalence of antibody against hepatitis C virus(HCV), anti-HCV was detected by enzyme immunoassay in 170 patients with liver cirrhosis. 77 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, and 100 healthy controls.
@EN The results were as follows:
@EN 1) Prevalence of anti-HCV was 15.3% in liver cirrhosis and 9.1% in hepatocellular carcinoma but no significant difference was found between two groups. Anti-HCV was not detected in health control group. Prevalence of hepatitis B surface
antigen(HBsAg) was 3% in healthy control, 52.9% in liver cirrhosis, and 72.7% in hepatocellular carcinoma.
2) Prevalence of anti HCV in HBsAg positive patients with live cirrhosis was 2.2% and 30.0% in HBsAg negative patients. In HBs Ag negaive patients with liver cirrhosis, the prevalence of 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 negative patiengs with hepatoccllular carcinoma, the prevalence of anti-HCV was
12.5%
in patients with anti-HBc only, 45.5% in patients with anti-HBc and anti-HBs, and 50.0% in patients with no HBV markers.
4) In studying the relation of anti-HBc and anti-HCV in HBsAg negative patients with liver cirrhosis and heptocellular carcinoma, prevalence of isolated anti-HCV, positive for both anti-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 between two groups(P<0.01).
according, it is suggested that the most important factor in the pathogenesis of live cirrhosis and 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, whether HCV acts in the process of development of hepatocellular carcinoma form liver cirrhosis and whether HCV superinfection modifies the natural course of chronic HBV infection need further investigation.
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