journal article Apr 03, 1993

Prolonged infection with hepatitis B virus and association between low blood cholesterol concentration and liver cancer.

BMJ Vol. 306 No. 6882 pp. 890-894 · BMJ
View at Publisher Save 10.1136/bmj.306.6882.890
Abstract
OBJECTIVE--To determine whether prolonged infection with hepatitis B virus is associated with a lower blood cholesterol concentration. DESIGN--Cross sectional study. SETTING--81 villages in rural China with a high prevalence of chronic infection with hepatitis B virus. SUBJECTS--1556 apparently healthy men aged 35-64 years, randomly selected. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Hepatitis B virus carrier state; plasma concentrations of cholesterol, apolipoprotein B, and apolipoprotein A I. RESULTS--238 (15%) of the men were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen, indicating that they were chronic carriers. Plasma concentration of cholesterol was 4.2% (0.11 mmol/l) lower among carriers (that is, positive for hepatitis B surface antigen) than among non-carriers (95% confidence interval 0.6% to 8.0% (0.01 to 0.21 mmol/l), p < 0.05), and apolipoprotein B concentration was 7.0% (0.036 g/l) lower (2.8% to 11.2% (0.014 to 0.058 g/l), p < 0.001). In contrast, no association was observed between plasma concentrations of cholesterol or apolipoprotein and hepatitis B that had been eradicated (that is, patient positive for hepatitis B core antibody but negative for hepatitis B surface antigen). CONCLUSIONS--Chronic hepatitis B virus infection, which usually starts in early childhood in China, seems to lead not only to a greatly increased risk of death from liver disease but also to a somewhat lower cholesterol concentration in adulthood. This common cause produces an inverse association between cholesterol concentration and risk of death from liver cancer or from other chronic liver diseases.
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References
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Published
Apr 03, 1993
Vol/Issue
306(6882)
Pages
890-894
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Cite This Article
Z Chen, A Keech, R Collins, et al. (1993). Prolonged infection with hepatitis B virus and association between low blood cholesterol concentration and liver cancer.. BMJ, 306(6882), 890-894. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.306.6882.890
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