[Detection of hepatitis B virus DNA and hepatitis C virus RNA in human hepatocellular carcinoma by polymerase chain reaction].

In order to study the relationship between hepatitis B virus DNA (HBV DNA), hepatitis C virus RNA (HCV RNA) and liver cell carcinoma, HBV DNA and HCV RNA from the tumor tissue of 42 liver cell carcinoma cases were studied by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and nested-PCR respectively. The results were as follows: one case of cholangiocarcinoma was positive for both HBV DNA and HCV RNA, and one case of biliary cystadenoma positive only for HBV DNA. Among the 40 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 29 were positive for HBV DNA and 13 positive for HCV RNA. There was no relationship obtained between HBV or HCV infection and the histological types of HCC, and HCV infection in HCC was not interrelated with HBV. It's considered that although HBV is still to be the leading cause of HCC in China, HCV may play an important role in hepatic carcinogenesis because of its high positive rate and increasing incidence.