A meta-analysis was performed to ascertain to what extent hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative/anti-hepatitis B core (anti-HBc)-positive subjects with chronic liver disease are at a higher risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) than the anti-HBc-negative. All studies included had to fulfill the following characteristics and inclusion criteria: they investigated the relationship between HBsAg-negative/anti-HBc-positive serology and the occurrence of HCC, whether a case-control or cohort study, they provided relative risk (RR) or odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), were available as a full text written in English, and were published and indexed up to April 2015. Twenty-six original studies met the inclusion criteria, allowing a meta-analysis on 44,553 patients. The risk of HCC among the 9986 anti-HBc-positive subjects was 67% higher than in the 34,567 anti-HBc-negative (95% CI = 1.44-1.95, P < 0.0001). The results were similar when groups of patients with a different stage of liver disease (patients with chronic liver disease, patients with cirrhosis), with different ethnicity (Asian and non-Asian) and etiology (HCV and non-HCV) were considered. The risk of HCC was significantly higher in the 651 anti-HBs/anti-HBc-positive patients (RR = 1.36; 95% CI = 1.17-1.58, P = 0.03) and in the 595 anti-HBs-negative/anti-HBc-positive subjects (RR = 2.15; 95% CI = 1.58-2.92, P < 0.0001) than in the 1242 anti-HBs/anti-HBc negative. However, the RR from 8 studies indicated that the risk of HCC was 35% lower among the anti-HBs/anti-HBc-positive subjects compared to the anti-HBs-negative/anti-HBc-positive (RR = 0.65; 95% CI = 0.52-0.8, P < 0.0001). This meta-analysis shows that in HBsAg-negative subjects with chronic liver disease, anti-HBc positivity is strongly associated with the presence of HCC, an association observed in all subgroups according to the stage of the disease, etiology, and ethnicity.
Association between anti-HBc positivity and hepatocellular carcinoma in HBsAg-negative subjects with chronic liver disease: A meta-analysis
COPPOLA, Nicola;Onorato, Lorenzo;SAGNELLI, Caterina;SAGNELLI, Evangelista;ANGELILLO, Italo Francesco
2016
Abstract
A meta-analysis was performed to ascertain to what extent hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative/anti-hepatitis B core (anti-HBc)-positive subjects with chronic liver disease are at a higher risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) than the anti-HBc-negative. All studies included had to fulfill the following characteristics and inclusion criteria: they investigated the relationship between HBsAg-negative/anti-HBc-positive serology and the occurrence of HCC, whether a case-control or cohort study, they provided relative risk (RR) or odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), were available as a full text written in English, and were published and indexed up to April 2015. Twenty-six original studies met the inclusion criteria, allowing a meta-analysis on 44,553 patients. The risk of HCC among the 9986 anti-HBc-positive subjects was 67% higher than in the 34,567 anti-HBc-negative (95% CI = 1.44-1.95, P < 0.0001). The results were similar when groups of patients with a different stage of liver disease (patients with chronic liver disease, patients with cirrhosis), with different ethnicity (Asian and non-Asian) and etiology (HCV and non-HCV) were considered. The risk of HCC was significantly higher in the 651 anti-HBs/anti-HBc-positive patients (RR = 1.36; 95% CI = 1.17-1.58, P = 0.03) and in the 595 anti-HBs-negative/anti-HBc-positive subjects (RR = 2.15; 95% CI = 1.58-2.92, P < 0.0001) than in the 1242 anti-HBs/anti-HBc negative. However, the RR from 8 studies indicated that the risk of HCC was 35% lower among the anti-HBs/anti-HBc-positive subjects compared to the anti-HBs-negative/anti-HBc-positive (RR = 0.65; 95% CI = 0.52-0.8, P < 0.0001). This meta-analysis shows that in HBsAg-negative subjects with chronic liver disease, anti-HBc positivity is strongly associated with the presence of HCC, an association observed in all subgroups according to the stage of the disease, etiology, and ethnicity.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
