Clinical characteristics of patients with HBs Ag( + ) versus HBs Ag(-) / HBc Ab( + ) primary hepatic carcinoma treated by hepatectomy: a comparative analysis

Objective To explore the differences in clinical characteristics between patients with HBs Ag( +) and HBs Ag(-) / HBc Ab( +) primary hepatic carcinoma( PHC) treated by hepatectomy. Methods Forty- three HBs Ag( +) and 18 HBs Ag(-) /HBc Ab( +)patients who underwent liver resection against PHC from October 2009 to November 2014 in Guangzhou 8th People's Hospital were selected for the study. The clinical data of the subjects,including sex,age,histological differentiation,intravascular tumor thrombi,and hepatic cirrhosis,were compared,using t test for continuous data,chi- square test for categorical data,and Mann- Whitney U test for non- parametric data. Results No significant differences existed between patients with HBs Ag( +) and HBs Ag(-) / HBc Ab( +) PHC in terms of the age of onset( 50. 77 ± 12. 93 years vs 54. 28 ± 9. 89 years,t =- 1. 031,P > 0. 05),the incidence of cholangiocarcinoma( 2. 3% vs16. 7%,χ2= 2. 24,P > 0. 05),the incidence of hepatic cirrhosis( 62. 8% vs 44. 4%,χ2= 1. 746,P > 0. 05),alpha- fetoprotein level( 3638 ± 7869 ng/ml vs 3577 ± 9628 ng/ml,t = 0. 026,P > 0. 05),histological differentiation( Z =- 1. 085,P > 0. 05),and the rate of intravascular tumor thrombi( 34. 9% vs 22. 2%,χ2= 0. 949,P > 0. 05). Conclusion There are no significant differences in the age of onset and progression of disease between patients with HBs Ag( +) and HBs Ag(-) / HBc Ab( +) PHC treated by hepatectomy. However,given the possibility of occult hepatitis B virus infection,it is necessary to monitor hepatic carcinoma even post HBs Ag seroconversion