Evaluation of HBV and HCV Seroprevalence in Serum Samples of Individuals Diagnosed with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

INTRODUCTION: According to the data of the World Health Organization, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. This study aimed to investigate the importance of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the viral etiology of HCC. In this study, we evaluated HBsAg and anti-HCV test results in serum samples sent with the diagnosis of HCC to Virology Laboratory. METHODS: This study was planned as a record-based cross-sectional study. The patients with HCC who were analyzed HBsAg and anti-HCV antibody in serum specimens in Virology Laboratory between October 2016 and December 2018. HBsAg and anti-HCV were tested in serum samples with test parameters chemiluminescent micro-particular enzyme immunoassay method by Architect system. RESULTS: This study included 44 patients with HCC. The median age of the patients diagnosed with HCC was 64.0 (33.0-88.0) years. Thirty-six (81.8%) of the patients were male, and 8 (18.2%) were female. HBsAg seropositivity was found in 13 (29.5%) patients and anti-HCV seropositivity was found in 2 (4.6%). HBsAg seropositivity was found in 2 (25.0%) of female patients and 11 (30.6%) of male patients (p=0.755). Anti-HCV seropositivity was found in 2 (5.6%) male patients (p=0.666). The highest HBsAg rate was 35.3% in the age group of 50-69 years, and the highest anti-HCV rate was 14.3% in the age group of 70-88 years (p=0.415, p=0.407, respectively). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: As a result, HBsAg seropositivity was found in 29.5%, and anti-HCV seropositivity was found in 4.6% of the patients diagnosed with HCC. HBV still keeps its importance in the etiology of HCC.