Hepatocellular carcinoma risk in sub-Saharan African and Afro-Surinamese individuals with chronic hepatitis B living in Europe

Lesley A. Patmore*, Kirsi M.A. van Eekhout, Maria Buti, Özgur M. Koc, Kosh Agarwal, Rob J. de Knegt, Harry L.A. Janssen, Marc van der Valk, Faydra I. Lieveld, Bettina E. Hansen, Matthijs Kramer, Joep de Bruijne, Mark A.A. Claassen, Colette Smit, Rob A. de Man, Bart Takkenberg, Ivana Carey, Milan J. Sonneveld,

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Background & Aims: Sub-Saharan African (SSA) ethnicity has been associated with a higher risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among individuals with chronic hepatitis B in cross-sectional studies. However, the incidence of HCC and performance of HCC risk scores in this population are unknown. Methods: We conducted an international multicenter retrospective cohort study of all consecutive HBV-monoinfected individuals of SSA or Afro-Surinamese (AS) ethnicity managed at sites in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Spain. We assessed the 5- and 10-year cumulative incidences of HCC in the overall study population, among different clinically relevant subgroups and across (m)PAGE-B subgroups. Next, we explored the different risk factors for HCC. Results: During a median follow-up of 8 years, we analyzed 1,473 individuals of whom 34 developed HCC. The 5- and 10-year cumulative incidences of HCC were 1% and 2.4%. The 10-year cumulative incidence of HCC was 0.7% among individuals without advanced fibrosis at baseline, compared to 12.1% among individuals with advanced fibrosis (p <0.001). Higher age (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.05), lower platelet count (aHR 0.98), lower albumin level (aHR 0.90) and higher HBV DNA log10 (aHR 1.21) were significantly associated with HCC development. The 10-year cumulative incidence of HCC was 0.5% among individuals with a low PAGE-B score, compared to 2.9% in the intermediate- and 15.9% in the high-risk groups (p <0.001). Conclusions: In this unique international multicenter cohort of SSA and AS individuals with chronic hepatitis B, we observed 5- and 10-year cumulative HCC risks of 1% and 2.4%, respectively. The risk of HCC was negligible for individuals without advanced fibrosis at baseline, and among individuals with low baseline (m)PAGE-B scores. These findings can be used to guide HCC surveillance strategies. Impact and implications: Sub-Saharan African ethnicity has been associated with a higher risk of hepatocellular carcinoma among individuals with chronic hepatitis B. In this international multicenter cohort study of sub-Saharan African and Afro-Surinamese individuals living with chronic hepatitis B in Europe, we observed 5- and 10-year cumulative incidences of hepatocellular carcinoma of 1% and 2.4%, respectively. The risk was negligible among individuals without advanced fibrosis and a low baseline (m)PAGE-B score. These findings can be used to guide HCC surveillance strategies in this population.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)243-250
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Hepatology
Volume80
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2024

Keywords

  • advanced fibrosis
  • CHB
  • HCC
  • modified PAGE-B score
  • PAGE-B score
  • Sub-Sahara Africa
  • Suriname
  • surveillance

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