A study of HBV infection, drinking habits and other environmental factors in causation of primary hepatic carcinoma and liver cirrhosis.

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The present study was initiated to investigate etiological role of various factors in causation of primary hepatic carcinoma (PHC) and liver cirrhosis (LC). Various factors selected were: hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, past history of blood transfusion, smoking habits, drinking habits, diet, etc. A case-control approach was employed, and necessary information was secured from medical records, from examination of blood serum for HBs-Ag titer, and by interviewing subjects by trained interviewers.As a whole, 58 PHC and 81 LC patients were identified at the Kyushu University Hospital and 129 healthy controls were recruited from a health center. Fifty two PHC and 48 controls, 79 LC and 74 controls were selected from the Kurume University Hospital and its associated hospitals.The major findings, although preliminary, were as follows: 1. HBV infection showed to be a very high risk factor for both PHC and LC. Estimated relative risks among carriers as compared to non-carriers were 10-20 times for PHC and 5-15 for LC. 2. Blood transfusion was also found to be a significant risk factor for both PHC and LC. Relative risks estimated were 3.1 for PHC and 4.0 for LC at Kyushu University and 3.1 for PHC and 1.8 for LC at Kurume University. 3. Dietary habits were found to vary greatly among individuals, so that no conclusive evidence has been obtained thus far. 4. Smoking habits were also found to vary greatly among individuals and no conclusive analysis has been made as yet. 5. The role of consumption of alcoholic beverage is an interesting subject. Data from Kyushu University indicate that patients of both PHC and LC consumed more alcoholic beverage than did controls. However, conclusive results should be obtained by continuation of the study and further analysis.