TY - JOUR TI - Exposure to bacterial products lipopolysaccharide and flagellin and hepatocellular carcinoma: a nested case-control study AU - Fedirko, Veronika AU - Hao Quang Tran AU - Gewirtz, Andrew T. AU - Stepien, AU - Magdalena AU - Trichopoulou, Antonia AU - Aleksandrova, Krasimira and AU - Olsen, Anja AU - Tjonneland, Anne AU - Overvad, Kim AU - Carbonnel, Franck AU - and Boutron-Ruault, Marie-Christine AU - Severi, Gianluca AU - Kuhn, AU - Tilman AU - Kaaks, Rudolf AU - Boeing, Heiner AU - Bamia, Christina and AU - Lagiou, Pagona AU - Grioni, Sara AU - Panico, Salvatore AU - Palli, AU - Domenico AU - Tumino, Rosario AU - Naccarati, Alessio AU - Peeters, Petra AU - H. AU - Bueno-de-Mesquita, H. B. AU - Weiderpass, Elisabete AU - Castano, AU - Jose Maria Huerta AU - Barricarte, Aurelio AU - Sanchez, Maria-Jose and AU - Dorronsoro, Miren AU - Quiros, J. Ramon AU - Agudo, Antonio AU - Sjoberg, AU - Klas AU - Ohlsson, Bodil AU - Hemmingsson, Oskar AU - Werner, Marten and AU - Bradbury, Kathryn E. AU - Khaw, Kay-Tee AU - Wareham, Nick AU - Tsilidis, AU - Konstantinos K. AU - Aune, Dagfinn AU - Scalbert, Augustin AU - Romieu, AU - Isabelle AU - Riboli, Elio AU - Jenab, Mazda JO - BMC Medicine PY - 2017 VL - 15 TODO - null SP - null PB - BMC SN - 1741-7015 TODO - 10.1186/s12916-017-0830-8 TODO - Hepatocellular carcinoma; Lipopolysaccharide; Flagellin; Endotoxins; Prospective studies TODO - Background: Leakage of bacterial products across the gut barrier may play a role in liver diseases which often precede the development of liver cancer. However, human studies, particularly from prospective settings, are lacking. Methods: We used a case-control study design nested within a large prospective cohort to assess the association between circulating levels of anti-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and anti-flagellin immunoglobulin A (IgA) and G (IgG) (reflecting long-term exposures to LPS and flagellin, respectively) and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. A total of 139 men and women diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma between 1992 and 2010 were matched to 139 control subjects. Multivariable rate ratios (RRs), including adjustment for potential confounders, hepatitis B/C positivity, and degree of liver dysfunction, were calculated with conditional logistic regression. Results: Antibody response to LPS and flagellin was associated with a statistically significant increase in the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (highest vs. lowest quartile: RR = 11.76, 95% confidence interval = 1.70-81.40; P-trend = 0.021). This finding did not vary substantially by time from enrollment to diagnosis, and did not change after adjustment for chronic infection with hepatitis B and C viruses. Conclusions: These novel findings, based on exposures up to several years prior to diagnosis, support a role for gut-derived bacterial products in hepatocellular carcinoma development. Further study into the role of gut barrier failure and exposure to bacterial products in liver diseases is warranted. ER -