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Development of hepatocellular carcinoma in a man with auto-immune chronic active hepatitis
M Yousuf1, K Kiyosawa, T Sodeyama
1Second Department of Internal Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
Abstract:
A 57 year old man with auto-immune chronic active hepatitis, regularly treated with immunosuppressive therapy, had hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) 10 years after diagnosis of the hepatitis. Assays of the hepatitis C virus antibodies against capsid and non-structural proteins revealed seronegativity in serial serum samples of this patient stored in the previous 10 years during follow up. The seronegative hepatitis C antibodies excluded hepatitis C virus as the cause of the HCC. The occurrence of HCC in this case suggests the necessity of surveillance for early detection of liver cancer in patients with auto-immune chronic active hepatitis undergoing long-term immunosuppressive therapy.