Clinicopathological Study of Hepatocellular Carcinoma without Hepatitis B or C Virus Markers

Abstract

We designed this study to clarify clinical feature of non-B, non-C type hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Since 1992 to 1996, among 474 operated HCC patients, we have experienced 31 such patients and two of these patients were related with autoimmune liver disease. Therefore, in this study, we have examined the clinical and pathological features of the remaining 29 HCC patients. Based on the presence of alcoholic abuse, these patients were divided into two groups, alcoholic HCC (Al-HCC, n=15) and nonalcoholic HCC (nAl-HCC, n=14). While the age was widely distributed in nAl-HCC (from 27 to 84), a mean age was quite similar (68.2 in Al-HCC and 65.5 in nAl-HCC). Presumably due to the lack of any clinical symptom, nAl-HCC was frequently diagnosed at an annual health examination. A prevalence of a blood transfusion and abnormal liver function test were equally observed in both groups. Whereas nAl-HCC tended to have a large size of tumor, the degree of the differentiation and the extension of the tumor was quite similar in these two groups. A striking difference was found in the histological feature of their non-tumor liver tissue. A liver fibrosis including chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis was more frequently observed in Al-HCC than in nAl-HCC (93% vs. 64 %, p < 0.05). A further accurate molecular examination might be required to elucidate the precise cause of their HCC