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Query: UMLS:C0019204 (hepatocellular carcinoma)
 71,386 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Five cases of hepatocellular carcinoma in whom diagnosis was made when the tumor was relatively small, are described. In 2 cases, serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) strted to rise sharply, which enabled early detection and surgical removal of the tumor. Serum AFP was below 100 ng per ml, but above the upper normal limit by radioimmunoassay, and was unfluctuating for a considerable period of time before it began to rise in 2 cases. It was negative throughout in 1 case, who lived more than 4 years after the tumor had reached a detectable size. In 4 of 5 cases, the tumor seemed to have evolved during a stage of chronic hepatitis or its transition to cirrhosis. In 1 case with chronic schistosomiasis and advanced mixed macro- and micronodular cirrhosis, a 1.5-cm tumor was detected by celiac angiography. These observations on time relationship of oncogenesis may be generalized to modify the cirrhotic liver. Necessity is emphasized for the early detection of this type of carcinoma to monitor serum AFP in chronic hepatitis patients, particularly in those with unfluctuating, mildly abnormal levels of AFP.
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PMID:Clinical observations during a relatively early stage of hepatocellular carcinoma, with special reference to serum alpha-fetoprotein levels. 5 Feb 51

The plasma level of alpha1-fetoprotein in 35 hepatic patients with a "cold" area showed by liver scanning has been detected by means of the radioimmunoassay technique. High levels (more than 320 ng/ml) of AFP were found in 4 cases of primary carcinoma of the liver; low concentration of AFP was found in 1 case of hepatoma. In 4 cases of liver metastasis the plasma levels of AFP were very low; the highest concentration (10 ng/ml) was found in a patient with a cancer of the colon. Low levels of AFP were found in all the cases (26) of hepatic cirrhosis, whereas high level of AFP was detected in 1 case of chronic hepatitis. The detection of alpha1-fetoprotein by the radioimmunoassay technique may be of value in the differential diagnosis between hepatoma and cirrhosis.
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PMID:[Radioimmunologic determination of alpha fetoprotein in diagnosis of primary tumors of the liver]. 5 25

It is well known that primary hepatocellular carcinoma could be derived from chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis in epidemiologic studies. However, it is still not clear what kinds of hepatocyte are premalignant cells. Recently we have focused on liver cell dysplasia as a possible premalignant cell, and showed localization of alpha-fetoprotein in the cytoplasma of these cells. Although the dysplastic cells were often seen in the liver of chronic active hepatitis, hepatitis B virus associated DNA polymerase activity was also significantly high in the sera from the patients with chronic active hepatitis. In this paper, we discuss the possible role of hepatitis B virus through hepatocarcinogenesis in human.
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PMID:Early lesions and development of primary hepatocellular carcinoma in man--association with hepatitis B viral infection. 7 Mar 87

In 31 patients with an initial diagnosis of cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was detected after a clinical follow-up of 8 months to 14 years with an average of 59 months. They had had no scintigraphic and biochemical abnormalities suggestive of HCC at the beginning. The follow-up period before the detection of carcinoma was shorter in patients positive for hepatitis B surface antigen compared with those negative for hepatitis B surface antigen. Analyses of clinical data during the follow-up and liver scans made shortly before tumor detection suggested that in most of these patients HCC became discernible relatively early in the course of cirrhosis or long before cirrhosis reached an advanced stage. A sharp rise in serum alpha-fetoprotein level proved highly diagnostic in 11, it remained low throughout in 7, and tumor was already unresectable in the majority. Although continuous and regular check for alpha-fetoprotein is imperative in patients with chronic liver disease, particularly in those with hepatitis B surface antigenemia, additional diagnostic tools are necessary for the detection of small HCC in its resectable stage.
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PMID:Detection of hepatocellular carcinoma during a clinical follow-up of chronic liver disease: observations in 31 patients. 7 17

In 1977 and 1978 the serum concentration of alpha-1-fetoprotein (AFP) in 3200 patients was measured for diagnostic purposes. Values above 320 ng/ml were observed in 75 patients; they underwent closer study. The final diagnoses were hepatoma (50), germ cell tumors (15), other malignant tumors (6) and acute hepatitis (4). Also, chronic hepatitis and liver coma may be associated with AFP values above 320 ng/ml. Repeated measurements usually provide further diagnostic information.
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PMID:[Severely increased alpha fetoprotein and associated diseases]. 9 51

Two antigenic systems of the woodchuck hepatitis virus have been identified. The relationship between viral antigens of the woodchuck hepatitis virus and the human hepatitis B virus was determined by using immunoprecipitation, hemagglutination, and immune electron microscopy techniques. Antigens found on the cores of the two viruses were cross-reactive. Lack of cross-reactivity between the surface antigens of the two viruses in immunodiffusion experiments suggested that the major antigenic determinants of the viral surfaces are different; however, results of passive hemagglutination tests indicated that there are common minor determinants. Nucleic acid homology, as measured by liquid hybridization, was found to be 3 to 5% of the viral genomes. The results of this study provide further evidence that woodchuck hepatitis virus is the second member of a new class of viruses represented by human hepatitis B virus. Since virus-infected woodchucks may acquire chronic hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma, these antigens and their respective antibodies will be useful markers for following the course of virus infection in investigations of the oncogenic potential of this class of viruses. The nucleocapsid antigen described may be a class-specific antigen of these viruses and, thus, may be useful in discovering new members of the group.
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PMID:Serological relationship of woodchuck hepatitis virus to human hepatitis B virus. 9 59

Most of the knowledge of post-hepatitic cirrhosis comes from studies performed in the last five years on the hepatitis B antigen-related variety. The position of other types of hepatitis (particularly type A) as an aetiological factor in cirrhosis remains conjectural. In general, the post-hepatitic cirrhosis develops insidiously after a mild or unrecognised acute episode of hepatitis. General progress is slow. Early deaths are due to liver failure. Later, primary hepatocellular carcinoma assumes increasing importance. Needle biopsy of the liver is usually necessary to confirm the diagnosis of cirrhosis and to estimate the degree of activity. Sampling errors when such a small specimen of liver is obtained must be taken into account, when formulating a diagnosis and prognosis. Prednisolone therapy is usually given if the patient is symptomatic, biochemical tests are abnormal and the liver biopsy confirms active chronic hepatitis with or without cirrhosis. The evidence of benefit is not so strong as for other forms of active hepatitis and cirrhosis such as the lupoid type. The management of the cirrhosis is otherwise along orthodox lines.
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PMID:Viral hepatitis and cirrhosis. 16 21

The frequency of occurrence of hepatitis B antigen (HBAg) and certain tissue autoantibodies [antinuclear antibody (ANA), smooth muscle antibody (SMA) and mitochondrial antibody (MIA)] were studied with the microtiter complement fixation and immunofluorescence techniques respectively in a group of patients suffering from chronic liver diseases. These were chronic hepatitis (30), cirrhosis of the liver (66) and hepatocellular carcinoma, mostly with underlying cirrhosis (100). A group of closely matched hospital in-patients served as controls. HBAg was found in high frequency in the patients with liver disease (60% in chronic hepatitis, 36.4% in cirrhosis and 49% in hepatocellular carcinoma) whereas tissue auto-antibodies were found in lower frequencies (16.7%, 10.6% and 13% in the three groups respectively). However, in both the frequency was significantly higher than that in the controls (9.2% for HBAg and 0.8% for auto-antibodies). There was a negative correlation between HBAg and tissue auto-antibodies in the group of patients with liver disease when taken as a whole (x2=14.3, P less than 0.001). These results suggest a possible aetiological role played by hepatitis virus B in hepatocellular carcinoma through chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis in Hong Kong while the mutual exclusion between HBAg and auto-antibodies supports the hypothesis of heterogeneity in the aetiology of chronic liver diseases. The patients with auto-antibodies may belong to the auto-immune category but no definate conclusion can be reached until the role played by hepatitis virus A in chronic liver diseases is clarified when more reliable techniques for its identification are available.
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PMID:Hepatitis B antigen and auto-antibodies in chronic liver diseases in Hong Kong. 16 80

In Asia, Africa, and other tropical areas, primary hepatic carcinoma (PHC) is associated with liver cirrhosis of the postnecrotic (macronodular) type. Chronic viral hepatitis is likely to be the cause of this cirrhosis in many patients from regions where chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is common. More than 95% of patients with hepatoma (in Mali and Senegal) have evidence of infection with HBV, a much higher frequency than in controls. Thirty-nine of 62 patients with PHC had hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) (controls, 8 of 98) and 56 of 63 (controls, 26 of 100) had antibody against hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc). In earlier studies, we demonstrated a maternal effect of HBsAg. If the mother has the antigen and the father does not, the children are much more likely to also have HBsAg than if the father has the antigen and the mother does not (93/161 = 57.8% when mother is positive vs. 28/135 = 20.7% when father is positive; P = 0.6 X 10(-10)). Studies in Greece and in the Solomon Islands show that presence of HBsAg in parents affects the sex ratio of the offspring of the mating. This implies that the presence of the agent in a parent can affect the fetus early in life. Parental studies in the west African hepatoma patients showed that there is a very high frequency of HBsAg in mothers (71.6%), while the frequency in fathers (18.5%) is significantly less. This suggests that the development of hepatoma in offspring is related to infection in parents. Several years ago, we described a vaccine which may be useful in preventing infection with hepatitis B. Strategies are discussed which might be effective in preventing the development of carriers with, it is hoped, a consequent decrease in the frequency of HBV carriers, chronic hepatitis, and primary hepatic carcinoma. The strategy would employ methods for decreasing the frequency of the agent in the environment by the application of public health methods including the vaccination of appropriate newborns and other members of the population.
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PMID:The relation of infection with the hepatitis B agent to primary hepatic carcinoma. 17 34

In Asia, Africa and other tropical areas primary hepatic carcinoma (PHC) is associated with liver cirrhosis of the post-necrotic (macronodular) type. Chronic viral hepatitis is likely to be the cause of this cirrhosis in many patients from regions where chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is common. More than 95% of patients with hepatoma (in Mali and Senegal) have evidence of infection with HBV, a much higher frequency than in controls. Thirty-nine of 62 PHC patients had hepatitis B surface antigen (HBSAg) (controls: 8 of 98) and 56 of 63 (controls: 26 of 100) had antibody against hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBC). In earlier studies we demonstrated a maternal effect of HBSAg. If the mother has the antigen and the father does not, the children are much more likely to also have HBSAg than if the father has the antigen and the mother does not (93/161 = 57.8% when mother is positive vs. 28/135 = 20.7% when father is positive; p = 0.6 X 10(-10)). Studies in Greece and in the Solomon Islands show that presence of HBSAg in parents affects the sex ratio of the offspring of the mating. This implies that the presence of the agent in a parent can affect the fetus early in life. Parental studies in the African hepatoma patients showed that there is a very high frequency of HBSAg in mothers (71.6%) while the frequency in fathers (18.5%) is significantly less. This suggests that the development of hepatoma in offspring is related to infection in parents. We described a vaccine several years ago which may be useful in preventing infection with hepatitis B. Strategies are discussed which might be effective in preventing the development of carriers with, it is hoped, a consequent decrease in the frequency of HBV carriers, chronic hepatitis and primary hepatic carcinoma. The strategy would employ methods for decreasing the frequency of the agent in the environment by the application of public health methods including the vaccination of appropriate newborns and other members of the population.
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PMID:[The relation of infection with the hepatitis B-agent to primary hepatic carcinoma (author's transl)]. 19 Apr 99


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