Characteristics of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a High Arsenicism Area in Taiwan: A Case???Control Study

Abstract

Arsenic contamination of drinking water is noticeably linked to the occurrence of skin, bladder, lung cancers, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Blackfoot disease (BFD) caused by arsenicosis is endemic in southwestern Taiwan, where artesian well water contains high concentrations of arsenic, and mortality from HCC shows a dose-response increase by concentration of arsenic in the well water. This case-control study was conducted to examine the clinical characteristics of HCC patients of BFD-endemic area. A total of 65 HCC cases (54 men and 11 women) were recruited from the BFD-endemic areas. The clinicopathological features were compared with 130 age- and sex-matched HCC control patients from non-BFD-endemic areas. Characteristics analyzed included hepatitis viral infection status, hepatitis activity, liver function, histological findings, computed tomography scan characteristics, and patient survival. No differences were observed between HCC patients or their tumors, from study and control areas.

Metallomic Profile in Non-cirrhotic Hepatocellular Carcinoma Supports a Phenomenon of Metal Metabolism Adaptation in Tumor Cells

“…Furthermore, As has been classi ed as an enhancer of oxidative stress and a human carcinogen, notably for HCC. 12 However, other metals such as Mn, Se, and Zn are required for normal activity of antioxidant defense system in cells in a concentration-dependent manner. 13 In order to evaluate the trace metal levels and whether metals are potential cofactor in the onset of earlyage HCC-NC in Peru, we performed a comprehensive analysis of metal concentrations in both HCC and NTL tissues of Peruvian patients (n = 38).…”

Physical, Chemical, and Biological Methods for the Removal of Arsenic Compounds

“…The presence of arsenic in soil and water has become an increasing problem in many countries around the world, including Bangladesh, India, Chile, and Taiwan [2, 40, 41], and natural geological source is one of the main causes of contamination [34]. Consumption of drinking water that has been contaminated by hazardous level of arsenic will lead to a wide range of diseases such as arsenic dermatosis, lung cancer, liver cancer, uterus cancer, skin cancer and occurrence of skin, and bladder and hepatocellular carcinoma that will result in slow and painful death [1, 2, 41–43]. In Southwestern Taiwan, the human consumption of artesian well waters which contains high concentration of arsenic has also led to Blackfoot disease, which is an endemic peripheral vascular disease in that area [40].…”

Localization of the Dissimilatory Arsenate Reductase in <I>Sulfurospirillum Barnesi</I> Strain SeS-3

“…Arsenic toxicity in both natural and humanly impacted environments is an important issue of current public health. Recently problem sites include (a) drinking water in Taiwan where arsenic poisoning is known as Black foot because of the necrotic destruction of tissue, (b) well water in West Bengal India and Bangladesh (Hadi and Parveen 2004;Lu et al, 2004;Mandal and Biswas, 2004) where world health organization (WHO) efforts to provide pathogen-free drinking water by placing shallow tube wells has replaced a problem of Cholera with one of arsenic toxicity, (c) release of arsenic from burning coal into foods in Southwest China (Sun et al, 2004) and (d) within the USA where arsenic in drinking water from residential wells in Michigan and Wisconsin (Brasier, 1997;Ryker, 2000), as well as industrially impacted mining waters in western USA and recreational waters in north of Boston (Ahmann et al, 1994) are far above the WHO recommended levels. Therefore, it is of interest to design biochemical and molecular probes to target microorganisms that have unique metabolism similar to Sulfurosprillium spp.…”

“…The poisonous properties of arsenic compounds have been known since antiquity (Frankenberger, 2002) arsenic trioxide (As 2 O 3 ) gained much favor as a homicidal agent it was once referred as to inheritance powder in the mid-19th century James Marsh devised the first chemical test for the presence of arsenic in tissue thereby advancing forensic science while putting such nefarious heirs on notice. The health of tens of millions of people worldwide is at risk from drinking arsenic-contaminated well water (Hadi and Parveen 2004;Lu et al, 2004;Macur et al, 2004;Mandal and Biswas, 2004;Rahman et al, 2005;Sun et al, 2004). In most cases this arsenic occurs naturally within the subsurface aquifers, rather than being derived from identifiable sources of pollution.…”