Gender and Regional Disparities in Incidence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Autoimmune Hepatitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Abstract BackgroundRecent studies have identified an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). Gender and regional disparities in incidence of HCC in AIH continue to be reported worldwide. Nevertheless, the magnitude of this gap remains unknown.MethodWe searched several databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Wangfang Data, CNKI and Sinomed. Incidence rates of HCC in AIH were combined and analyzed following the EBayes method. Incidence rate ratios were pooled to assess the gender differences. The impact of population difference, gender, age, cirrhotic condition was further analyzed with subgroup analysis and linear regression analysis.Result39 studies meeting our eligibility criteria were chosen for the analysis. The pooled incidence rate of HCC in AIH was 3.54 per 1,000 person-years (95%CI = 2.76–4.55). Pooled IRR for the risk of HCC in male AIH patients compared to female was 2.16 (95%CI = 1.25–3.75), with mild heterogeneity among studies. The pooled HCC incidence rate in AIH by continents was as follows: Europe 2.37 per 1,000 person-years (95%CI = 1.45–3.88), Asia 6.18 per 1,000 person-years (95%CI = 5.51–6.93), North America 2.97 per 1,000 person-years (95%CI = 2.40–3.68), Oceania 2.60 (95%CI = 0.54–7.58). The pooled HCC incidence rate in AIH related cirrhosis by continent was as follows: Europe 6.35 per 1,000 person-years (95%CI = 3.94–10.22), Asia 17.02 per 1,000 person-years (95%CI = 11.18–25.91), North America 10.89 per 1,000 person-years (95%CI = 6.69–17.74).ConclusionA higher HCC incidence in AIH was observed among male and in Asian populations. Routine HCC surveillance is cost effective for patients with AIH cirrhosis, especially for those in Asian populations.