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Occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma 24 years after successful interferon therapy in a patient with chronic hepatitis C: a case report

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Abstract

An 82-year-old man presented with hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) 24 years after achieving a sustained virological response (SVR) to an interferon for hepatitis C. His hepatic fibrosis stage was F1 when he was treated at 58 years. He was followed-up by annual blood tests and abdominal ultrasonography or computed tomography. After the IFN treatment, he had drunk approximately 100 g of ethanol. Serum aspartate aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase levels had been elevated since 2012. To investigate the possible factors that affect hepatocarcinogenesis over 10 years after achieving an SVR, we reviewed the literature. Of 39 reported patients, 26, as well as ours, had one or more lifestyle-related factors, including body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2, diabetes mellitus, impaired glucose tolerance, hepatosteatosis, or alcohol consumption. In our patient, aging and daily alcohol consumption might have triggered the development of HCCs.

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Abbreviations

HCV:

Hepatitis C virus

HCC:

Hepatocellular carcinoma

IFNs:

Interferons

SVR:

Sustained virological response

DEB-TACE:

Drug-eluting beads transcatheter arterial chemoembolization

CT:

Computed tomography

BMI:

Body mass index

HBsAg:

Hepatitis B surface antigen

HBcAb:

Hepatitis B core antibody

AST:

Aspartate aminotransferase

ALT:

Alanine aminotransferase

GGT:

Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase

AFP:

Alpha-fetoprotein

BCLC:

Barcelona clinic liver cancer

M2BPGi:

Mac-2 binding protein glycosylation isomer

AUROC:

Area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve

COI:

Cut-off index

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by a Grant from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan (H28-kansei-ippan-001).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, 19-9 Uchimaru, Morioka, Iwate, Japan

    Yuichi Yoshida, Miki Yonezawa, Takuya Okamoto, Yudai Fujiwara, Akiko Suzuki, Yuji Suzuki, Kei Endo, Keisuke Kakisaka, Takayoshi Oikawa, Hidekatsu Kuroda, Akio Miyasaka & Yasuhiro Takikawa

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  1. Yuichi Yoshida
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  2. Miki Yonezawa
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Correspondence to Yuichi Yoshida.

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Yoshida, Y., Yonezawa, M., Okamoto, T. et al. Occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma 24 years after successful interferon therapy in a patient with chronic hepatitis C: a case report. Clin J Gastroenterol 12, 120–127 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12328-018-0915-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12328-018-0915-8

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