Hepatitis B and C Viruses Increase Liver Cancer Risk in China
Author Information
Author(s): Shi J, Zhu L, Liu S, Xie W-f
Primary Institution: Department of Gastroenterology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, PR China
Hypothesis
Is concurrent infection by hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) associated with a higher risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) than each infection alone?
Conclusion
HBV and HCV infections are important independent risk factors for HCC in China, and dual infection by HBV and HCV is associated with a higher risk of causing HCC than each infection alone.
Supporting Evidence
- HBV and HCV infections have each been shown to markedly increase the risk of developing HCC.
- The pooled odds ratio for HBsAg positivity was 14.1.
- The pooled odds ratio for anti-HCV/HCV RNA positivity was 4.6.
- Dual infection by HBV and HCV is associated with a higher risk of causing HCC than each infection alone.
Takeaway
If you have both hepatitis B and C, you're more likely to get liver cancer than if you have just one of them.
Methodology
Meta-analysis of 32 case-control studies involving 3201 cases and 4005 controls.
Potential Biases
Potential bias from selection of studies and confounding factors not being well controlled.
Limitations
Bias and confounding factors may be present due to the reliance on published studies.
Participant Demographics
Participants included cases of HCC and controls without chronic liver diseases, with a majority being from China.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 10.6–18.8 for HBsAg positivity; 95% CI: 3.6–5.9 for anti-HCV/HCV RNA positivity.
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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