Hepatoma Risk in Lamivudine-Resistant Hepatitis B Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Yeh Chau-Ting, Chen Tiffany, Hsu Chao-Wei, Chen Yi-Cheng, Lai Ming-Wei, Liang Kung-Hao, Chen Tse-Ching
Primary Institution: Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
Hypothesis
The emergence of the rtA181T/sW172* mutant increases the risk of hepatoma occurrence in patients with lamivudine-resistant chronic hepatitis B.
Conclusion
The rtA181T/sW172* mutant in lamivudine-resistant patients significantly increases the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma.
Supporting Evidence
- 3 of the 10 rtA181T-positive patients developed hepatocellular carcinoma.
- 2 of the 113 rtA181T-negative patients developed hepatocellular carcinoma.
- Age over 50 years and liver cirrhosis were also significantly associated with HCC.
Takeaway
If patients with hepatitis B develop resistance to a drug called lamivudine, they might have a higher chance of getting liver cancer, especially if they have a specific mutation.
Methodology
Serum samples from 123 LAM-resistant chronic hepatitis B patients were analyzed using a sensitive method to detect the rtA181T mutant and assess clinical outcomes.
Potential Biases
There may be biases related to the selection of patients and the retrospective nature of the data collection.
Limitations
The study is limited by its retrospective design and the potential for unmeasured confounding factors.
Participant Demographics
Patients were predominantly male, with a mean age of 58.5 years for those with the rtA181T mutation.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI, 3.556 to 129.302
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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