Re: Hepatocellular carcinoma and other liver diseases among greenlanders chronically infected with hepatitis B virus: A population-based study

摘要

Borresen et al. (1) recently reported that hepatitis В surface antigen (HBsAg)-sero-positive Greenlanders have a low incidence rate of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The young age of the cohort likely contributed to the low rate. The genotypes of hepatitis В virus (HBV) may have had a role. An additional factor that deserves consideration is the possible role of diet. The medical community has been intrigued by the diet of Greenlanders since the 1970s, when it was reported that they have very low rates of ischemic heart disease. The traditional diet of Greenlanders is rich in marine foods that contain very high levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (2). These fatty acids have potent anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities (3).