Journal article
The association between Clonorchis sinensis seropositivity and hepatocellular carcinoma in an endemic area: a study in Guangxi, China
BMC infectious diseases, Vol.25(1), 270
02/25/2025
DOI: 10.1186/s12879-025-10675-2
PMCID: PMC11852542
PMID: 40000979
Abstract
Background
Chronic infection with Clonorchis sinensis (C.sinensis) has been associated swith the development of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC); however, the relationship between C.sinensis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains uncertain.
Methods
This study examined 120 patients with liver cancer in the clonorchiasis endemic area of Hengzhou, Guangxi, China. The type of cancer, the differentiation grade according to Edmondson Steiner’s classification, and the pathological characteristics of HCC were determined through postoperative tissue biopsy. C.sinensis infection was detected by measuring serum specific IgG antibody, and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was determined by detecting serum HBsAg and HBV DNA in HCC tissues. The C.sinensis infection rates in control groups were drawn from the local general population based on previous surveys. The association between C.sinensis infection and HCC was analyzed by comparing the differences in C.sinensis infection rates between the two groups.
Results
Of the patients evaluated, 98 (81.7%) had HCC, 21 (17.5%) had ICC, and 1 (0.8%) had comorbidity of HCC/ICC. Among the HCC patients, 24 (24.5%) were solely infected with HBV, 71 (72.4%) were C. sinensis seropositive, and 3 (3.1%) showed no evidence of infection. C. sinensis seropositive rates in HCC patients are much higher than in general outpatient and non-liver cancer inpatients (χ2 = 141.92, p < 0.001), as well as in the local residents (χ2 = 82.61/21.38, p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the pathological type, differentiation grade, and lesion composition between the tumor associated with C.sinensis/HBV mono- and co-infection (p > 0.05). Among the patients with C.sinensis-related HCC, 8 (8.2%) were solely C.sinensis seropositive, while 63 (64.3%) were co-infected with HBV. Infection with C. sinensis and HBV has a significant impact on the pathological types of liver cancer (χ2 = 22.86, p < 0.001).
Conclusions
These findings indicate that HCC still accounts for the majority of liver cancer in this region. In addition to being most commonly related with HBV infection, HCC may also be related to C. sinensis infection. Co-infection of C. sinensis and HBV may enhance the development of HCC in this area.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- The association between Clonorchis sinensis seropositivity and hepatocellular carcinoma in an endemic area: a study in Guangxi, China
- Creators
- Qing-Li Yang - Guangxi University of Chinese MedicineXi-Wei Lu - People's Hospital of Hengzhou, Nanning, Guangxi, 530300, People's Republic of ChinaZhong-Liao Fang - Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Guangxi Key Laboratory for Viral Hepatitis Prevention and Control, Nanning 530028, Guangxi, People's Republic of China, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of ChinaYu-Qiu Gao - Guangxi University of Chinese MedicineYi-Ning He - Guangxi University of Chinese MedicineYan Huang - Guangxi University of Chinese MedicineYue Dai - Guangxi University of Chinese MedicineMing-Yong Liang - Guangxi Center for Disease Prevention and ControlCarlos H F Chan - University of IowaZhi-Hua Jiang - Guangxi Center for Disease Prevention and Control
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- BMC infectious diseases, Vol.25(1), 270
- DOI
- 10.1186/s12879-025-10675-2
- PMID
- 40000979
- PMCID
- PMC11852542
- NLM abbreviation
- BMC Infect Dis
- ISSN
- 1471-2334
- eISSN
- 1471-2334
- Publisher
- BMC
- Grant note
- 2020GXNSFAA238016 / Natural Science Foundation of Guangxi XZ2020002 / Global Health Research Seed Grant from the Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa, U.S.A.
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 02/25/2025
- Academic Unit
- Surgery; Radiation Oncology
- Record Identifier
- 9984795378402771
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