Abstract
AIM: To compare the proliferation activity of small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) related to hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). METHODS: Sixty liver biopsy specimens were obtained from patients with small HCC (≤3 cm in diameter) and examined immunohistochemically using anti-proliferating cell nuclear antigen monoclonal antibody. Of the 60 specimens, 30 were HBV-related and 30 were HCV-related. The 60 patients providing the samples for study were matched by sex and morphologic features of the HCC specimens. RESULTS: The labeling index of proliferating cell nuclear antigen was 7.9% in the HBV-related HCC specimens and 12.5% in the HCV-related HCC specimens. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: In the early phase, or small stage, of HCC, HBV-related HCC shows similar proliferating activity to that of HCV-related HCC; this finding suggests that in the early phase, HBV-related HCC has similar malignancy to HCV-related HCC.