African Journal of Virology Research

African Journal of Virology Research ISSN 3421-7347 Vol. 1 (10), pp. 120-122, October, 2007. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

A study of the prevalence of HCCA in patients with and without HBV in Northeast Nigeria

*Umar Nuhu¹, Rabiu Zaynab¹ and Sadiq Mutallab²

¹Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Kaduna State University, Kaduna, Nigeria.

²Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 12 January, 2007

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has been reported as one of the aetiological factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCCA). This study reports the prevalence of HCCA in patients with and without HBV in Northeast Nigeria over a period of five years. A total of 114 patients consecutively diagnosed with HCCA and tested for Hepatitis B surface Antigen (HBsAg) at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), between January 1996 and December 2000, were studied. There were 81 males and 33 females, ranging in age between 9 months and above 60 years. Of the 114 patients with HCCA, 86.8% were positive for HBsAg of which males accounted for a higher prevalence of 63.1%, while females accounted for 23.7% (2.7:1). HCCA patients from the fouth decade of life and above were observed with a higher prevalence of HBV infection. Among the HBsAg-negative patients with HCCA, no significant gender difference was observed (p > 0.05). However, 13.2% of patients with HCCA were negative for HBsAg. Viral and non-viral aetiologic factors may play a role in developing HCCA in Maiduguri.