Increased hepatic oxidative DNA damage in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Since oxidative DNA damage plays a role in experimental carcinogen-induced cancers, the purpose of the present study was to determine if hepatic oxidative DNA damage was increased in patients with HCC compared to patients with benign hepatic tumors or hepatic metastases (non-HCC) or to patients with end-stage alcoholic liver disease undergoing liver transplantation. Oxidative DNA damage was assessed by 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG). Results showed that peritumoral 8-OH-dG was markedly increased in HCC (N=51) (180±74 vs 32±58-OH-dG/106dG for tumor, P<0.005) in contrast to patients with non-HCC (N=17), in whom the peritumoral 8-OH-dG did not differ from that in tumor (39±7 vs. 31±108-OH-dG/106dG). Oxidative DNA damage can be both mutagenic and carcinogenic; our data suggested it will be important in future studies to determine the chronology of this type of liver injury relative to hepatocarcinogenesis.