The relationship between hepatitis B virus infection and hepatic cell carcinoma in Mozambique

Hepatitis B surface antigen and antibody were sought in sera collected from patients with hepatic cell carcinoma and from healthy blood donors. The frequency of the antigen among the patients was significantly higher than that among blood donors who served as controls (p = less than .01) but no significant difference was found in estimated exposure to hepatitis B virus between hepatic cell carcinoma patients and African blood donors. However, exposure to hepatitis B virus was significantly less frequent (p = less than .01) among European blood donors when compared to African blood donors.