CORRELATION OF MORPHOLOGIC SUBTYPES OF LIVER CIRRHOSIS WITH EXCESS ALCOHOL INTAKE, HBV INFECTION, AGE AT DEATH, AND HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA: A Study on 234 Autopsy Cases in Japan

Abstract

Two hundred thirty-four autopsy cases of liver cirrhosis were examined to correlate the tissue HBV markers and excess alcohol intake with the type of liver cirrhosis, and the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The following four groups were classified as follows: (1) HBV marker-positive alcoholic group A, (2) HBV marker-negative alcoholic group B, (3) HBV marker-positive non-alcoholic group C, and (4) HBV marker-negative non-alcoholic group D. Macronodular cirrhosis predominated in groups, A, C, and D, while in group B macronodular and micronodular cirrhosis were almost of the same frequency. The mean age at death of the patients with macronodular cirrhosis of HBV-positive alcoholic group A was similar to that of HBV-positive non-alcoholic group C but lower than that of HBV-negative alcoholic group B, suggesting a longer survival of alcoholics without HBV infection than that with HBV infection, when patients had macronodular cirrhosis at autopsy. In HBV-negative alcoholic group B, patients with macronodular cirrhosis had a higher mean age than those with micronodular cirrhosis, while in HBV-positive alcoholic group A, the mean age of patients with either cirrhosis was similar. This suggested that in the absence of HBV infection, macronodular cirrhosis in alcoholics may be related to the increased life span that allows a conversion of micronodular cirrhosis into macronodular one, and in HBV-positive alcoholics it may arise in relation to HBV infection. HCC was frequently associated with macronodular cirrhosis, regardless of the presence or absence of alcohol abuse or HBV infection, but rare in micronodular cirrhosis.