Relative risk for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in alcoholic patients with cirrhosis: a multiple...

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HVC) markers are frequently positive in alcoholic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the role of the relationship between HBV or HCV infection and alcohol drinking in the development of HCC has not been clearly documented. In the present study, the relative risk in 1200 cirrhotic patients with different etiologies who were admitted to five different hospitals in Japan was calculated using the multiple logistic-regression coefficient analysis. In the HCV+ alcohol group, HCC patients tended to be younger, and the odds ratio for the development of HCC was significantly higher compared with the HCV-alone group. Furthermore, the interaction coefficient of alcohol and HCV for the development of HCC was significant statistically. However, the interaction between HBV and alcohol was not significant. Because the proportion of male patients with HCC was significantly higher in the alcohol-alone and HBV-related groups than in the HCV-related group, the multiple logistic-regression analysis was also performed in male patients only. The results were nearly the same as those in male and female patients combined. These results suggest strongly that alcohol and HCV together accelerate the development of HCC. However, a similar relationship was not found between alcohol and HBV.