Hepatitis B virus infection in southern African blacks with hepatocellular cancer.

The association between hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and hepatocellular cancer (HCC) in southern African blacks was investigated by examination of patients' sera for all the currently known markers of HBV. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was present in the sera of 61.6% (178/289) of the patients compared with only 11.3% (24/213) of age-matched, sex-matched, and ethnically matched controls (P less than 0.001). Antibody against HBsAg was found in 17% of the patients and 41.7% of the controls (P less than 0.001). In 74 patients studied in more detail, antibody against the hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) was detected in 89%, almost always in high or moderately high titer. Anti-HBc was found in 37.5% of the controls. Active HBV infection, as indicated by positive tests for HBsAg or anti-HBc, was present in 91% of the patients compared with 39.4% of the controls (P less than 0.001). Hepatitis B e-antigen was detected in 2.3% and its specific antibody in 20.5% of the patients. The corresponding figures in the controls were 0 and 55%. HBs antigenemia was more common in younger patients with HCC. No relationship was demonstrated between alpha-fetoprotein and HBs antigenemia. HBV infection was equally common in patients with and without cirrhosis in the nontumorous liver.