RESUMO
Serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA and HBV DNA were assayed in 38 patients with primary hepatic carcinoma (PHC) negative for all serum HBV immunological markers (HBsAg, HBsAb, HBeAg, HBeAb and HBcAb) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). It was found that either HCV RNA or HBV DNA or both were detectable in 28 cases (73.7%) among the 38 patients. Of these patients, single HCV RNA- positive, single HBV DNA-positive and both HCV RNA and HBV DNA-positive were observed in 7(18.4%), 12(31.6%) and 9(23.7%) cases, respectively. The results suggest that (1) HCV infection may also play an important role in the development of PHC in Chongqing; and (2) about half of the PHC patients negative for all the serum HBV immunological markers are still associated with HBV infection.