Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA integrates into the host DNA and shows a series of potentially oncogenetic properties, but HBV is not an acutely transforming virus, because HCC develops decades after infection. Other factors, namely cirrhosis, inflammation, alcohol intake, and viral superinfections, could promote the oncogenetic process induced by HBV-DNA integration. We studied the impact of HDV infection in the pathogenesis of HCC in 62 consecutive patients. Their mean age was 59 years (range 25–75 years), 54 were male and eight female; 58 had cirrhosis. The findings suggest that HBsAg-positive patients with HDV superinfection developed cirrhosis and HCC at an earlier age than HBsAg carriers without HDV infection. HDV appears to represent a “promotion” factor for HCC in subjects with an oncogenic risk induced by HBV. A long-lasting necroinflammatory lesion of the liver substained by productive HBV and HDV infections may be a major pathogenetic mechanism.
References
Kew MC, Popper H: Relationship between hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis. Semin Liver Dis 4:136–146, 1984
Johnson PJ, William R: Cirrhosis and the etiology of hepatocellular carcinoma. J Hepatol 4:140–147, 1987
Pagliaro L, Simonetti RG, Craxi A, et al: Alcohol and HBV infection as risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma in Italy: A multicentric, controlled study. Hepato-gastroenterol 30:48–50, 1983
Ponzetto A, Hele C, Forzani B, Avanzini L, Rizzetto M: Hepatitis delta virus and hepatocellular carcinoma. Gastroenterology 94:583, 1988
Proceedings of “Workshop on the Application of Molecular and Immunological Techniques in Virus Hepatitis Research,” XXII Meeting of European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL). Turin. September 3, 1987. Ric Clin Lab 18(2–3):1988
Callea F, Zorzi M, Desmet VJ: Viral Hepatitis. Berlin, Springer-Verlag, 1986
Glantz SA: Primer of Biostatistics. New York, McGraw-Hill, 1987
Bonino F, Negro F, Baldi M, Brunetto M, et al: The natural history of chronic Delta hepatitis.In The Hepatitis Delta Virus and Its Infection, Progress in Clinical and Biological Research, Vol. 234. M Rizzetto, JL Gerin, RH Purcell (eds). New York, Alan R. Liss, 1987, pgs 145–152
Ponzetto A, Forzani B, Bonetti M, Callea F, Forzani I, Rosina F, D'Urso N, Verme G: Morphological study of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the woodchuck animal model. Gastroenterology 96:A645, 1989
Smedile A, Chiaberge E, Piantino P, et al: HBV neplication modulates viremia and pathogenesis of HDV.In Workshop on Molecular Biology of Hepatitis Viruses. AISF, Sestriere 6.7.8; Aprile 1989
Kuo M, Sharmeen L, Dinter-Gottlieb G, Taylor J: Characterization of self-cleaving RNA sequences on the genome and antigenome of human hepatitis delta virus. J Virol 962:4439–4444, 1988
Kuo MY-P, Chao M, Taylor J: Initiation of restriction of the human hepatitis delta virus genome from clone of DNA: Role of delta antigen. J Virol 63:1945–1950, 1989
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Verme, G., Brunetto, M.R., Oliveri, F. et al. Role of hepatitis delta virus infection in hepatocellular carcinoma. Digest Dis Sci 36, 1134–1136 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01297460
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01297460