Summary
The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Japan has increased over the past two decades. Of the 379 patients with HCC treated at Shinshu University Hospital over the past 20 years, 112 underwent treatment between 1971 and 1980 and 267 were treated between 1981 and 1990. The prevalence of hepatitis B virus-associated HCC and hepatitis C virus-associated HCC was 54% and 34%, respectively, during the first decade and 31% and 60%, respectively, during the second decade. Major factors contributing to the increased incidence of HCC include an increase in the incidence of type C chronic hepatitis and an increase in the incidence of cirrhosis of the liver, which in turn are the result of blood transfusions received about 30 years ago. Donated blood testing positive for hepatitis C virus antibody is currently rejected from the blood supply. However, the occurrence of posttransfusion hepatitis with the potential to develop into HCC has not been entirely eliminated. In addition, there is an as yet unelucidated route of horizontal transmission of hepatitis C virus.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Beasley RP (1982) Hepatitis B virus as the etiologic agent in hepatocellular carcinoma — epidemiologic considerations. Hepatology 2:21 S
Chisari FV, Klopchin K, Moriyama T, Pasquinelli C, Dunsford HA, Sell S, Pinkert CA, Brinster RL, Palmiter RD (1989) Molecular pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatitis B virus transgenic mice. Cell 59:1145
Choo Q-L, Kuo G, Weiner AJ, Overby LR, Bradley DW, Houghton M (1989) Isolation of a cDNA clone derived from a blood-borne non-A, non-B vira hepatitis genome. Science 244:359
Colombo M, Kuo G, Choo Q-L, Donato MF, Del Ninno E, Tommasini MA, Dioguardi N, Houghton M (1989) Prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus in Italian patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Lancet II:1006
Dienstag JL (1983) Non-A, non-B hepatitis: I. Recognition, epidemiology, and clinical features. Gastroenterology 85:439
Esteban JI, Esteban R, Viladomiu L, López-Talavera JC, González A, Hernández JM, Roget M, Vargas V, Genescà J, Buti M, Guardia J, Houghton M, Choo Q-L, Kuo G (1989) Hepatitis C virus antibodies among risk groups in Spain. Lancet II:294
Everhart JE, Di Bisceglie AM, Murray LM, Alter HJ, Melpolder JJ, Kuo G, Hoofnagle JH (1990) Risk for non-A, non-B (type C) hepatitis through sexual or household contact with chronic carriers. Ann Intern Med 112:544
Franca ST, Kiyosawa K, Imai Y, Sodeyama T, Hayata T, Nakano Y, Nakamura M, Furuta S (1989) Change of intrahepatic expression of hepatitis-B core antigen during the clinical course of type-B chronic hepatitis. Scand J Gastroenterol 24:454
Gilliam JH, Geisinger KR, Richter JE (1984) Primary hepatocellular carcinoma after chronic non-A, non-B posttransfusion hepatitis. Ann Intern Med 101:794
Katayama T, Kikuchi S, Tanaka Y, Saito I, Miyamura T, Choo Q-L, Houghton M, Kuo G (1990) Blood screening for non-A, non-B hepatitis by hepatitis C virus antibody assay. Transfusion 30:374
Kiyosawa K, Akahane Y, Nagata A, Koike Y, Furuta S (1982) The significance of blood transfusion in non-A, non-B chronic liver disease in Japan. Vox Sang 43:45
Kiyosawa K, Akahane Y, Nagata A, Furuta S (1984) Hepatocellular carcinoma after non-A, non-B posttransfusion hepatitis. Am J Gastroenterol 79:777
Kiyosawa K, Yamamura N, Sodeyama T, Yoda H, Imai Y, Imai H, Franca SMT, Furuta S (1988) Intrahepatic expression of HBsAg and HBcAg in asymptomatic HBsAg carriers and its follow-up. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 3:19
Kiyosawa K, Sodeyama T, Tanaka E, Gibo Y, Yoshizawa K, Nakano Y, Furuta S, Akahane Y, Nishioka K, Purcell RH, Alter HJ (1990) Interrelationship of blood transfusion, non-A, non-B hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma: analysis by detection of antibody to hepatitis C virus. Hepatology 12:671
Kiyosawa K, Sodeyama T, Tanaka E, Shimizu S, Furuta S, Miyazaki Y, Akahane Y, Suzuki H (1991) Intrafamilial transmission of hepatitis C virus in Japan. J Med Virol 33:114
Kuo G, Choo Q-L, Alter HJ, Gitnick GL, Redeker AG, Purcell RH, Miyamura T, Dienstag JL, Alter MJ, Stevens CE, Tegtmeier GE, Bonino F, Colombo M, Lee W-S, Kuo C, Berger K, Shuster JR, Overby LR, Bradley DW, Houghton M (1989) An assay for circulating antibodies to a major etiologic virus of human non-A, non-B hepatitis. Science 244:362
London WT, Blumberg BS (1982) A cellular model of the role of hepatitis B virus in pathogenesis of primary hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatology 2:10S
Moriarty AM, Alexander H, Lerner RA, Thornton GB (1985) Antibodies to peptides detect new hepatitis B antigen: serological correlation with hepatocellular carcinoma. Science 227:429
Nishioka K, Watanabe J, Furuta S, Tanake E, Iino S, Suzuki H, Tsuji T, Yano M, Kuo G, Choo Q-L, Houghton M, Oda T, (1991) A high prevalence of antibody to the hepatitis C virus in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in Japan. Cancer 67:429
Okuda K, Fujimoto I, Hanai A, Urano Y (1987) Changing incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in Japan. Cancer Res 47:4967
Poel CL van der, Reesink HW, Schaasberg W, Leentvaar-Kuypers A, Bakker E, Exel-Oehlers PJ, Lelie PN (1990) Infectivity of blood seropositive for hepatitis C virus antibodies. Lancet 335:558
Resnick RH, Stone K, Antonioli D (1983) Primary hepatocellular carcinoma following non-A, non-B posttransfusion hepatitis. Dig Dis Sci 28:908
Takada S, Koike K (1990) Trans-activation function of a 3′ truncated X gene-cell fusion product from integrated hepatitis B virus DNA in chronic hepatitis tissues. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 87:5623
Takada S, Koike K (1990) X protein of hepatitis B virus resembles a serine protease inhibitor. Jpn J Cancer Res 81:1191
Watanabe J, Minegishi K, Mitsumori T, Ishifuji M, Oguchi T, Ueda M, Tokunaga E, Tanaka E, Kiyosawa K, Furuta S, Katayama T, Kuo G, Choo Q-L, Houghton M, Nishioka K (1990) Prevalence of anti-HCV antibody in blood donors in the Tokyo area. Vox Sang 59:86
Yu MC, Tong MJ, Coursaget P, Ross RK, Govindarajan S, Henderson BE (1990) Prevalence of hepatitis B and C viral markers in black and white patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in the United States. J Natl Cancer Inst 82:1038
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kiyosawa, K., Furuta, S. Clinical aspects and epidemiology of hepatitis B and C viruses in hepatocellular carcinoma in Japan. Cancer Chemother. Pharmacol. 31 (Suppl 1), S150–S156 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00687126
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00687126