Persistent hepatitis B virus infection and hepatoma in the Gambia, West Africa : a case-control study of 140 adults and their 603 family contacts

To determine the incidence of persistent hepatitis B virus infection and its etiologic role as a cause of hepatoma, the authors carried out a case-control investigation of 70 persons with hepatoma, 70 controls, and their families in 1981-1982 in The Gambia, West Africa. The risk of developing hepato...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of epidemiology 1992-11, Vol.136 (9), p.1122-1131
Main Authors: RYDER, R. W, WHITTLE, H. C, SANNEH, A. B. K, AJDUKIEWICZ, A. B, TULLOCH, S, YVONNET, B
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Biological and medical sciences
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - epidemiology
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - etiology
Case-Control Studies
Contact Tracing
Family Health
Female
Gambia - epidemiology
Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen
Hepatitis B - complications
Hepatitis B - epidemiology
Hepatitis B e Antigens - blood
Hepatitis B Surface Antigens - blood
Humans
Incidence
Liver Neoplasms - epidemiology
Liver Neoplasms - etiology
Liver. Biliary tract. Portal circulation. Exocrine pancreas
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Prevalence
Prospective Studies
Seroepidemiologic Studies
Tumors
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:To determine the incidence of persistent hepatitis B virus infection and its etiologic role as a cause of hepatoma, the authors carried out a case-control investigation of 70 persons with hepatoma, 70 controls, and their families in 1981-1982 in The Gambia, West Africa. The risk of developing hepatoma after the age of 39 years was 1.4% in men and 0.3% in women. Hepatoma occurred more than twice as frequently among persons who had four or more older siblings as among persons who had less than two older siblings. The attributable risk between persistent infection with hepatitis B virus and hepatoma was 78% for individuals aged less than 50 years and 37% for persons aged 50 years or more, with an overall risk of 53%. The high prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis B e antigen antigenemia in children under 15 years of age (14% of 341 children) and the positive correlation between late birth order and risk of developing hepatoma suggest that postnatal early childhood exposure to hepatitis B virus is an important risk factor. The use of a hepatitis B virus vaccine which provides durable immunity in very young children will probably prevent most cases of hepatoma.
ISSN:0002-9262
DOI:10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a116578