HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA IN JAPAN AND ITS LINKAGE TO INFECTION WITH HEPATITIS-C VIRUS

Hepatitis B and C viruses are closely related to the development of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Recently these two viral agents were found to be the major causative agents of hepatocellular carcinoma in Japan. An increase in the number of HCV antibody-positive patients, but a decrease in the number of HBs antigen-positive patients with hepato cellular carcinoma has been noted over the last 15 years. In the late 1980s about 70% of the patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were found to be positive for HCV antibody and 24% for HBs antigen. Presence of several subtypes of HCV was reported. Hypervariable region (HVR) in a putative envelope, gp70, was detected within the same subtype. Variability of HVR seemed to be the result of spontaneous mutation caused after infection. Such changes with time in the sequence of the HCV genome in the blood of patients with type C hepatitis are likely to be due to immunological surveillance by the host. © 1993 Academic Press. All rights reserved.