The prevalence of hepatitis B seropositivity among patients with cholangiocarcinoma

Cholangiocarcinoma is a malignancy of the biliary duct system. Presently, these malignant biliary tract diseases are common among the people in Southeast Asia, with the world's highest prevalence in northeastern Thailand and Laos. This carcinoma tends to grow slowly and to infiltrate the walls of the ducts, dissecting along tissue planes and leading to biliary tract obstruction. Recently, hepatitis virus-associated chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis has been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of cholangiocarcinoma. Here, we report the prevalence of hepatitis B seropositivity among Thai patients with cholangiocarcinoma. A total of 55 patients with cholangiocarcinoma, who were admitted to King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thailand, during 1992-2001, with known hepatitis B serology was selected for further prevalence study. Of the 55 cases (32 males and 22 females), hepatitis B seropositivity was found in five cases (three males and two females), giving a total prevalence rate equal to 9.1% (9.4% for male and 9.2% for females). Since hepatitis B infection is believed to be a risk factor in the development of cholangiocarcinoma, and both cholangiocarcinoma and hepatitis B infection are common in Thailand, screening and vaccination for hepatitis B may be a useful strategy to decrease the high rate of cholangiocarcinoma in Thailand. Further long-term study to study the relation of hepatitis B infection and cholangiocarcinoma is recommended.