Glycemic load in relation to hepatocellular carcinoma among patients with chronic hepatitis infection

Patients and methods: We conducted a case-control study of 333 HCC patients and 360 controls in Athens, Greece. Third-generation assays were used to determine chronic HBV and HCV infection and information from a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire to estimate dietary GL. Results: After adjustment for possible confounding factors through multiple logistic regression, we found a nonsignificant positive association between GL and HCC, which was exclusively accounted for by a positive association between GL and HCC cases with chronic infection with hepatitis B and/or C. For the latter group of patients, the odds ratio at the highest compared with the lowest GL quintile was 1.95 (95% confidence interval 1.09-3.48). The association was strengthened after exclusion of subjects with diabetes. Conclusion: Our results indicate that, among patients with chronic infection with HBV and/or HCV, reduction of dietary GL could reduce risk or delay development of HCC.