Lack of correlation between the antibody to hepatitis B core antigen and survival after surgical resection for hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma

  • Authors:
    • Hiroki Nishikawa
    • Akira Arimoto
    • Tomoko Wakasa
    • Ryuichi Kita
    • Toru Kimura
    • Yukio Osaki
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: April 24, 2013     https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2013.2422
  • Pages: 91-98
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Abstract

The impact of antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) on survival after curative surgical resection (SR) for hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between anti-HBc positivity and survival of HCV-related HCC patients who underwent curative SR. A total of 222 patients with HCV-related, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative HCC who underwent curative SR were analyzed. They included 119 anti-HBc-positive patients (53.6%) and 103 anti-HBc-negative patients (46.4%). Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were compared between the two groups. The median follow-up periods in the anti-HBc-positive and anti-HBc-negative groups were 3.4 years (range, 0.3-10.9 years) and 3.2 years (range, 0.5-10.9 years), respectively. The 1-, 3- and 5-year cumulative OS rates were 88.8, 70.2 and 50.0%, respectively, in the anti-HBc-positive group and 95.8, 77.1 and 61.7% in the anti-HBc-negative group (P=0.300). The corresponding RFS rates were 68.7, 33.0 and 20.0%, respectively, in the anti-HBc-positive group and 74.4, 38.5 and 16.5% in the anti-HBc-negative group (P=0.482). Multivariate analyses identified serum albumin ≥3.8 g/dl (P=0.005) and the presence of microvascular invasion (P<0.001) as independent factors linked to OS, and interferon therapy after surgery (P=0.011), α-fetoprotein ≥40 ng/ml (P=0.030) and the presence of microvascular invasion (P<0.001) were significant predictors linked to RFS. In subgroup analyses according to maximum tumor size and background liver disease in terms of OS and RFS, no significant difference between the anti-HBc-positive and anti-HBc-negative groups was observed except in patients with non-cirrhotic liver in terms of RFS. In conclusion, anti-HBc-positivity is not a useful predictor for survival of patients with HCV-related HCC after curative SR.
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July 2013
Volume 30 Issue 1

Print ISSN: 1021-335X
Online ISSN:1791-2431

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Spandidos Publications style
Nishikawa H, Arimoto A, Wakasa T, Kita R, Kimura T and Osaki Y: Lack of correlation between the antibody to hepatitis B core antigen and survival after surgical resection for hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncol Rep 30: 91-98, 2013
APA
Nishikawa, H., Arimoto, A., Wakasa, T., Kita, R., Kimura, T., & Osaki, Y. (2013). Lack of correlation between the antibody to hepatitis B core antigen and survival after surgical resection for hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncology Reports, 30, 91-98. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2013.2422
MLA
Nishikawa, H., Arimoto, A., Wakasa, T., Kita, R., Kimura, T., Osaki, Y."Lack of correlation between the antibody to hepatitis B core antigen and survival after surgical resection for hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma". Oncology Reports 30.1 (2013): 91-98.
Chicago
Nishikawa, H., Arimoto, A., Wakasa, T., Kita, R., Kimura, T., Osaki, Y."Lack of correlation between the antibody to hepatitis B core antigen and survival after surgical resection for hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma". Oncology Reports 30, no. 1 (2013): 91-98. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2013.2422