Hepatitis B and C Virus Infection is a Risk Factor for the Development of Cholangiocarcinoma

Objective Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection may be involved in the development of cholangiocarcinoma. The prevalence of HBV and HCV infection was examined in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC). Methods The levels of HBV surface antigens (HBsAg), antibodies against HBV core antigens (HBcAb) and hepatitis C virus antibodies (HCV-Ab) were determined in sera obtained from 145 consecutive patients (50 patients with ICC, 95 patients with ECC). Results The seroprevalence of HBsAg was 10% in the ICC patients and 4.2% in the ECC patients. The prevalence of HCV-Ab was 20% in the ICC patients and 7.4% in the ECC patients. Conclusion The prevalence of HBsAg and HCV-Ab is 0.8-2.2% and 1-2%, respectively, in the Japanese population living in the Tottori area. Furthermore, HBV and HCV infection is a possible risk factor for the development of cholangiocarcinoma. Therefore, the surveillance of ICC and ECC is needed in HBV and HCV carriers.