J Korean Med Sci.  2013 Feb;28(2):247-251. 10.3346/jkms.2013.28.2.247.

Risk of Pancreatic Cancer in Relation to ABO Blood Group and Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Korea: A Case-Control Study

• Woo SM
• Joo J
• Lee WJ
• Park SJ
• Han SS
• Kim TH
• Koh YH
• Kim HB
• Hong EK

• KMID: 1429190
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2013.28.2.247

Abstract

Several studies have reported that ABO blood group, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection contribute to the development of pancreatic cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between these factors and pancreatic cancer in the Korean population. We retrospectively recruited 753 patients with pancreatic cancer and 3,012 healthy controls, matched 4 to 1 with cancer patients for age and sex, between 2001 and 2011, at the National Cancer Center, Korea. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to estimate adjusted odds ratios (AORs). The AOR for pancreatic cancer in subjects with non-O blood types (A, AB, and B), compared to blood type O, was 1.29 (95% CI, 1.05-1.58; P = 0.01). Seropositivity for hepatitis B virus surface antigen was not significantly related to pancreatic cancer, either in univariate (odds ratio 1.03; 95% CI, 0.69-1.53; P = 0.91) or multivariate analysis (AOR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.67-1.56; P = 0.93). The AOR for pancreatic cancer in subjects displaying seropositivity for anti-HCV was 2.30 (95% CI, 1.30-4.08; P < 0.01). Our results suggest that the non-O blood types and anti-HCV seropositivity, but not HBV infection, may increase the risk of developing pancreatic cancer in Korea, where HBV is endemic.

Keyword

ABO Blood-Group System; Hepatitis B Virus; Hepatitis C Virus; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Korea

MeSH Terms

ABO Blood-Group System
Aged
Case-Control Studies
Female
Hepatitis B/complications/diagnosis
Hepatitis B Surface Antigens/blood
Hepatitis C/*complications/diagnosis
Hepatitis C Antibodies/blood
Humans
Logistic Models
Male
Middle Aged
Multivariate Analysis
Odds Ratio
Pancreatic Neoplasms/diagnosis/*etiology
Republic of Korea
Retrospective Studies
Risk Factors
ABO Blood-Group System
Hepatitis B Surface Antigens
Hepatitis C Antibodies

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