Body mass index is associated with age-at-onset of HCV-infected hepatocellular carcinoma patients

AIM: To identify factors associated with the age at onset of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Five hundred and fifty-six consecutive patients positive for HCV antibody and treatmentna ve HCC diagnosed between 1995 and 2004 were analyzed. Patients were classified into three groups according to age at HCC onset: < 60 years (n = 79), 60-79 years (n = 439), or >= 80 years (n = 38). Differences among groups in terms of sex, body mass index (BMI), lifestyle characteristics, and liver function were assessed. Factors associated with HCC onset in patients < 60 or >= 80 years were analyzed by logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Significant differences emerged for sex, BMI, degree of smoking and alcohol consumption, mean bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and rglutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) levels, prothrombin activity, and platelet counts. The mean BMI values of male patients > 60 years old were lower and mean BMI values of female patients < 60 years old were higher than those of the general Japanese population. BMI > 25 kg/m(2) [hazard ratio (HR), 1.8, P = 0.045], excessive alcohol consumption (HR, 2.5, P = 0.024), male sex (HR, 3.6, P = 0.002), and GGT levels > 50 IU/L (HR, 2.4, P = 0.014) were independently associated with HCC onset in patients < 60 years. Low ALT level was the only factor associated with HCC onset in patients aged >= 80 years. CONCLUSION: Increased BMI is associated with increased risk for early HCC development in HCV-infected patients. Achieving recommended BMI and reducing alcohol intake could help prevent hepatic carcinogenesis. 2011 Baishideng. All rights reserved.