HBs Ag and hepatocellular carcinoma associated with cirrhosis.--A retrospective study based on autopsy.

Histologic specimens of liver tissue from 33 consecutive cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) associated with cirrhosis, were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and with orcein for the presence of HBs Ag in the cytoplasm of cells. Such a study showed orcein-positive liver cells in 7 out of 33 (21.2%) cases of HCC associated with cirrhosis. The clinical course and laboratory examinations of the 33 patients were also reviewed and revealed a significant difference between the length of survival of orcein-positive patients and orcein-negative ones. Therefore, these results seem to support the hypothesis that HBs Ag may play a role not only in the development of HCC associated with cirrhosis, but also in a more rapid and severe course of neoplasia.