02279nas a2200469   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001500055653001000070653001100080653001600091653000900107653003000116653001000146653002100156653001800177653001100195653001600206653002700222653002500249653002200274653001700296653001100313653001100324653002000335653000900355653001600364653001200380653002300392100001600415700001300431700001400444700001500458700001400473700001200487700001500499245011900514300001100633490000700644520114400651022001401795       1980                            d  c1980 Oct10aAdolescent10aAdult10aAfrica10aAge Factors10aAged10aCarcinoma, Hepatocellular10aChild10aChild, Preschool10aEthnic Groups10aFemale10aHepatitis B10aHepatitis B Antibodies10aHepatitis B Antigens10aHepatitis B virus10aHepatomegaly10aHumans10aInfant10aLiver Neoplasms10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aSenegal10aAlpha-Fetoproteins1 aCoursaget P1 aMaupas P1 aGoudeau A1 aChiron J P1 aDrucker J1 aDenis F1 aDiop-Mar I00aPrimary hepatocellular carcinoma in intertropical Africa: relationship between age and hepatitis B virus etiology.  a687-900 v653 a<p>Clinical observations of patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC) at Le Dantec Hospital, Dakar, Senegal, were studied to determine a correlation with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Of the 103 patients with PHC, 80 had an active HBV infection (HBsAg and/or anti-HBc); 23 showed signs of previous HBV infection (anti-HBs and anti-HBc). The two groups were similar in the detection of alpha-fetoprotein (approximately 60%) and in the major clinical findings: hepatomegaly, 76.25% and 86.96%, respectively; and ascites, 57.50% and 47.83%, respectively. Jaundice, however, was three times more frequent (P < 0.01) in the group of patients with signs of active HBV replication. Distribution of HBV markers as a function of age at onset of PHC revealed that the presence of HBsAg was primarily confined to the sera of the younger patients (< 50 yr old). When compared with leprosy patients and blood donors, the younger PHC patients differed in the frequency of detection of HBsAg and anti-HBs. The older people (> 50 yr old) in the three groups (PHC patients, leprosy patients, and blood donors) had identical HBV markers.</p>  a0027-8874