Thanakrit Sathavornmanee
Chulabhorn International College of Medicine - Thammasat University, Thailand
Title: A case-control study of risk factors for Opisthorchis viverrini infection and cholangiocarcinoma in Northeastern Thailand
Biography
Biography: Thanakrit Sathavornmanee
Abstract
Opisthorchis viverrini is one of the most common foodborne liver parasites in Southeast Asia. Piscivorous mammals, including humans, become infected after consuming raw or undercooked freshwater fish containing the parasite’s infective metacercariae. Chronic biliary tract infections with O. viverrini has been accepted as the precursor lesion to cholangiocarcinoma (CHCA), an aggressive malignancy of the biliary tract with very poor prognosis. Currently, over 67 million people worldwide are at risk of opisthorchiasis. Opisthorchiasis and CHCA are major public health problems in Thailand. Over 6 million people are currently infected, and the incidence of CHCA in the country’s Northeastern region are some of the highest rates reported globally. A case-control study on the risk factors associated with opisthorchiasis and CHCA was carried out on 41 subjects with opisthorchiasis, 31 subjects with CHCA, and 56 control subjects from Northeastern Thailand. The greatest risk factor for opisthorchiasis and CHCA was the simultaneous consumption of raw and fermented freshwater fish, with odds ratios of 34.00 (95% CI: 10.93, 105.81), and 101.50 (95% CI: 19.75, 521.78), respectively. A past history of opisthorchiasis and alcohol consumption were also associated with CHCA, with odds ratios of 19.13 (95% CI: 2.26, 161.80), and 2.61 (95% CI: 1.05, 6.47), respectively. The data presented herein reveals novel synergies and risk factors associated with opisthorchiasis and CHCA, perspectives which pave the way for the development of better targeted prevention and control strategies for these diseases in Thailand.