Hepatitis Virus Infection and Chronic Liver Disease among Atomic-Bomb Survivors

Departments of Clinical Studies and Statistics, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Institute of Radiation Epidemiology, Radiation Effects Association, Health Science, Hygiene, Hiroshima University School of Medicine INTRODUCTION: Increased liver cancer and cirrhosis among atomic-bomb survivors have been reported based on mortality studies or tumor registries . In the Adult Health Study (AHS) cohort, a significant excess risk was detected for chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis. Hepatitis C and B virus (HCV, HBV) infection plays a crucial role in the etiology of chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. In Japan, more than 6075% of hepatocellular carcinoma cases are related to chronic HCV infection and 20-25% are positive for the hepatitis B surface antigen. Three previous studies on HBV in the AHS during 1969-70, 1973-75, and 197981 have consistently shown that prevalence of HBV surface antigen demonstrated increasing prevalence with radiation dose. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether radiation exposure altered the prevalence of hepatitis virus infection or accelerated the progress toward chronic hepatitis after hepatitis virus infection.