Hormonal markers and hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma risk: a nested case-control study among men

B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is higher in men than in women. We examined whether en-dogenous sex hormone levels or hor-mone-related factors might affect the risk of HCC in men. Methods: Baseline blood samples were collected from 4841 male Taiwanese HBV carriers without diagnosed HCC from 1988 through 1992. Plasma testosterone and estradiol levels and genetic polymorphisms in the hormone-related factors cyto-chrome P450c17 (CYP17, A1 versus A2 alleles), steroid 5-reductase type II (SRD5A2, valine [V] versus leucine [L