Source

Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ogaki Municipal Hospital, Ogaki, Japan. Electronic address: hosp3@omh.ogaki.gifu.jp.

Abstract

Some patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection progress to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the long term effect of nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) therapy on progression to HCC is unclear. Therefore, we compared chronic hepatitis B patients who received NA therapy to those who did not, using a propensity analysis. Of consecutive 785 HBV carriers between 1998 and 2008, 117 patients who received NA therapy and 117 patients who did not were selected by eligibility criteria and propensity score matching. Factors associated with the development of HCC were analyzed. HCC developed in 57 of 234 patients (24.4%) in this follow-up period. Factors significantly associated with the incidence of HCC as determined by Cox proportional hazards models include higher age (hazard ratio, 4.36 [95% confidence interval, 1.33-14.29], P=0.015), NA treatment (0.28 [0.13-0.62], P=0.002), basal core promoter (BCP) mutations (12.74 [1.74-93.11], P=0.012), high HBV core-related antigen (HBcrAg) (2.77 [1.07-7.17], P=0.036), and high gamma glutamyl transpeptidase levels (2.76 [1.49-5.12], P=0.001). Conclusions: NA therapy reduced the risk of HCC compared with untreated controls. Higher serum levels of HBcrAg and BCP mutations are associated with progression to HCC, independent of NA therapy.