Olfat Shaker1, Hala Mahfouz2, Ahmad Salama3, Engy Medhat1. 1. Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt. 2. Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, Egypt. 3. Tropical Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Highly Upregulated in Liver Cancer (HULC) and microRNA-372 (miR-372) as biochemical markers in Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and HCV-infected patients. METHODS: The present study was conducted on 100 Egyptian individuals divided into 3 groups, 40 patients with HCC and HCV infection, 40 patients only HCV-infected, and 20 individuals as normal controls. They were subject to full history taking, full clinical and laboratory examination, and assessment of HULC and miR-372 levels by real-time PCR. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was found with p< 0.05 between HCC and each of HCV and control groups as regards HULC level with high mean among HCC followed by HCV patients. Our results also show a statistically significant difference with p< 0.05 between each of HCC and HCV compared to control as regards miR-372 level with low mean among HCC patients. CONCLUSION: HULC could be considered as a potential non-invasive marker for detection and early diagnosis of HCC. Also, it may play an important role in the early prophylaxis and control measures to reduce the incidence of HCC. However, miR-372 cannot be considered as a reliable marker as HULC for early detection of HCC especially in HCV patients.
BACKGROUND: We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Highly Upregulated in Liver Cancer (HULC) and microRNA-372 (miR-372) as biochemical markers in Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and HCV-infected patients. METHODS: The present study was conducted on 100 Egyptian individuals divided into 3 groups, 40 patients with HCC and HCV infection, 40 patients only HCV-infected, and 20 individuals as normal controls. They were subject to full history taking, full clinical and laboratory examination, and assessment of HULC and miR-372 levels by real-time PCR. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was found with p< 0.05 between HCC and each of HCV and control groups as regards HULC level with high mean among HCC followed by HCV patients. Our results also show a statistically significant difference with p< 0.05 between each of HCC and HCV compared to control as regards miR-372 level with low mean among HCC patients. CONCLUSION: HULC could be considered as a potential non-invasive marker for detection and early diagnosis of HCC. Also, it may play an important role in the early prophylaxis and control measures to reduce the incidence of HCC. However, miR-372 cannot be considered as a reliable marker as HULC for early detection of HCC especially in HCV patients.
Authors: Katrin Panzitt; Marisa M O Tschernatsch; Christian Guelly; Tarek Moustafa; Martin Stradner; Heimo M Strohmaier; Charles R Buck; Helmut Denk; Renée Schroeder; Michael Trauner; Kurt Zatloukal Journal: Gastroenterology Date: 2006-08-14 Impact factor: 22.682