Increased DNA synthetic potency of hepatocytes in cirrhotic patients may indicate a super-high risk for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling indices (LI) of liver biopsied specimens from 27 control liver cirrhosis patients (control LC) without hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 26 cirrhotic patients with HCC, and from 6 control subjects were examined using an in vitro BrdU labeling technique. The mean BrdU LI +/- S.E. of HCC cancerous portion, HCC non-cancerous cirrhotic portion, control LC, and control subjects were 6.6 +/- 0.8%, 2.7 +/- 0.3%, 1.7 +/- 0.3% and 0.25 +/- 0.09%, respectively. Interestingly, there was a significant difference (p less than 0.025) between the non-cancerous LC portion and control LC. While 25 of 26 non-cancerous LC portion of HCC patients were in the high LI group (greater than or equal to 1.4%), 15 of 27 in the control LC were in the low LI group (less than 1.4%) (p less than 0.001). Of the 12 control LC with high LI, 6 developed HCC within 2 years, whereas only one of the 15 control LC with low LI developed HCC (p less than 0.05). In conclusion, HCC may develop in cirrhotic patients with high DNA synthetic potency.