Association of social class in HBsAg and hepatocellular carcinoma

ABSTRACT

To find out the social class difference in relation to frequency of HBsAg and hepatocellular carcinoma in our population Design: An analytical study. Place and Duration of Study This study was conducted in Oncology Department, Services Hospital, Lahore from December 1997 to December 2000. Subjects and The HBsAg positive voluntary and apparently healthy blood donors were grouped into three, based on 'monthly income. Lower socioeconomic group had monthly income less than 3,000 Pakistani rupees, middle socioeconomic group had monthly income between 3,000-10,000 rupees and upper socioeconomic group had income of more than 10,000 Pakistani rupees. On the same pattern patients suffering from hepatocellular carcinoma coming for treatment were also grouped. During this period, 1000 blood donors were screened for HBsAg and 95 biopsy proven liver cancer cases were treated. Medical and demographic data of all subjects were recorded. HBsAg test was performed by immuno-chromatographic technique using Daina Screen HBsAg kit manufactured by Dainabot Co. Ltd, Tokyo, Japan. Patients from lower and middle social class had higher percentage [80% and 75%] of hepatocellular carcinoma as compared to higher social class [66.6%]. In the healthy asymptomatic blood donors lower social class had higher [13.76%] HBsAg positivity as compared to middle social class [11.25%] and higher social class [8.06%]. Preventive measures should be taken in identifying and reducing factors predisposing high frequency of these conditions