Hepatitis B and C viruses are not risks for pancreatic adenocarcinoma

To investigate whether hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) increase risk of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

We recruited 585 patients with cytological and/or pathologically confirmed PDAC in National Taiwan University Hospital from September 2000 to September 2013, and 1716 age-, sex-, and race-matched controls who received a screening program in a community located in Northern Taiwan. Blood samples were tested for the presence of HCV antibodies (anti-HCV), HBV surface antigen (HBsAg), antibodies against HBsAg (anti-HBs), and hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) in all cases and controls. The odds ratio (OR) of PDAC was estimated by logistic regression analysis with adjustment diabetes mellitus (DM) and smoking.

HBsAg was positive in 73 cases (12.5%) and 213 controls (12.4%). Anti-HCV was positive in 22 cases (3.8%) and 45 controls (2.6%). Anti-HBs was positive in 338 cases (57.8%) and 1047 controls (61.0%). The estimated ORs of PDAC in multivariate analysis were as follows: DM, 2.08 (95%CI: 1.56-2.76, P < 0.001), smoking, 1.36 (95%CI: 1.02-1.80, P = 0.035), HBsAg(+)/anti-HBc(+)/anti-HBs(-), 0.89 (95%CI: 0.89-1.68, P = 0.219), HBsAg(-)/anti-HBc(+)/anti-HBs(+), 1.03 (95%CI: 0.84-1.25, P = 0.802).

HBV and HCV infection are not associated with risk of PDCA after adjustment for age, sex, DM and smoking, which were independent risk factors of PDAC.