Hormonal Markers and Hepatitis B Virus-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma Risk: a Nested Case–Control Study Among Men

Background: The incidence of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is higher in men than in women. We examined whether endogenous sex hormone levels or hormone-related factors might affect the risk of HCC in men. Methods: Baseline blood samples were collected from 4841 male Taiwanese HBV carriers without diagnosed HCC from 1988 through 1992. Plasma testosterone and estradiol levels and genetic polymorphisms in the hormone-related factors cytochrome P450c17α (CYP17, A1 versus A2 alleles), steroid 5α-reductase type II (SRD5A2, valine [V] versus leucine [L] alleles), and androgen receptor (AR, number of CAG repeats) were assayed among 119 case patients who were diagnosed with HCC during 12 years of follow-up and 238 control subjects. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results: The risk of HCC increased with increasing concentrations of testosterone (odds ratio [OR]highest versus lowest tertile = 2.97; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.54 to 5.70; Ptrend