Hepatitis C and B ; European Journal of Cancer Prevention Report

February 17, 2011

Studies in the Area of Hepatitis C Virus Reported from B. Dondog and Co-Researchers
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"The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Mongolia is far higher than that of any other cancer in the country, and among the highest worldwide. The relative importance of infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) is unclear," scientists writing in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention report (see also Hepatitis C Virus).

"We reviewed (i) medical records for 963 patients with HCC and 941 patients with cirrhosis admitted for the first time to the National Cancer Center of Mongolia and the National Center for Communicable Diseases, respectively, from 2000 to 2009, and (ii) articles published from 1990 to 2010 on the seroprevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibodies against hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) among individuals with and without liver disease. Among those with HCC, the seroprevalence of HBsAg, anti-HCV and dual infections was 50, 27 and 21%, respectively. Corresponding percentages among the patients with cirrhosis were 40, 39, and 20%. In both diseases, HCV infection was relatively more prevalent in women than in men and, in cirrhosis, in patients older than 45 years of age. In healthy individuals, from published articles, anti-HCV seroprevalence steadily increased with age (from 3% at age 0-5 years to 34% at age >= 50 years), whereas HBsAg seroprevalence stayed constant at about 8%," wrote B. Dondog and colleagues.

The researchers concluded: "The future benefit of childhood vaccination against HBV in Mongolia will be undermined by the consequences of a severe HCV epidemic and a uniquely high burden of dual infections."

Dondog and colleagues published their study in European Journal of Cancer Prevention (Hepatitis B and C virus infections in hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis in Mongolia. European Journal of Cancer Prevention, 2011;20(1):33-39).

Additional information can be obtained by contacting S. Franceschi, International Agcy Research Cancer, 150 Cours Albert Thomas, F-69372 Lyon 08, France.

The publisher of the European Journal of Cancer Prevention can be contacted at: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 530 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19106-3621, USA.

Keywords: City:Lyon, Country:France, Antigens, Biological Products, Cancer Vaccines, Cirrhosis, Communicable Disease Control, Complex Mixtures, DNA Viruses, Digestive System Diseases, Environment and Public Health, Fibrosis, Flaviviridae Infections, Gastroenterology, HCV, Hepadnaviridae Infections, Hepatitis B Vaccines, Hepatitis B Virus, Hepatitis C Virus, Hepatitis Viruses, Hepatocellular Cancer, Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Hepatology, Human Hepatitis, Immunization, Infectious Disease, Liver Diseases, Oncology, Orthohepadnavirus, Pediatrics, Public Health Practice, RNA Viruses, Vaccination, Viral Hepatitis Vaccines, Virology

This article was prepared by Vaccine Weekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Vaccine Weekly via NewsRx.com.