Letters To The Editor
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World J Gastroenterol. Jul 14, 2011; 17(26): 3171-3172
Published online Jul 14, 2011. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v17.i26.3171
Gut-liver axis plays a role in hepatocarcinogenesis of patients with Crohn’s disease
Shu-Mei Zheng, De-Jun Cui, Qin Ouyang
Shu-Mei Zheng, De-Jun Cui, Qin Ouyang, Department of Gastroenterology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
Author contributions: Zheng SM wrote the Letter; Cui DJ collected the relevant literature; Ouyang Q revised the letter.
Correspondence to: Qin Ouyang, Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China. qinouyang3@163.com
Telephone: +86-28-85422387 Fax: +86-28-85422389
Received: January 30, 2011
Revised: March 25, 2011
Accepted: April 2, 2011
Published online: July 14, 2011
Abstract

The development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is attributed to several factors, including chronic viral infection, alcohol consumption, exposure to aflatoxin B1 and metabolic disorders. Several recent reports have shown that HCC can occur in patients with long-standing Crohn’s disease (CD) in the absence of other underlying high-risk liver diseases. There may be an association between CD and hepatocarcinogenesis, however, the precise mechanism for this requires further investigations.

Keywords: Inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, Hepatocellular carcinoma, Intestinal flora, Azathioprine, Enterohepatic circulation