Interleukin-18 polymorphism as a diagnostic tumor marker for hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with hepatitis C-related cirrhosis

Ayman Abdelghaffar Eldesoky,Hosam Eldeen Zaghloul,Nancy Abdel Fattah Ahmed,Amr Ahmed Abdel Aziz

doi:10.1186/s43066-020-00062-8

Ayman Abdelghaffar Eldesoky, Hosam Eldeen Zaghloul + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.1186/s43066-020-00062-8

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Journal: Egyptian Liver Journal	Publication Date: Nov 5, 2020
Citations: 2	License type: open-access

Affiliation: Mansoura University

Abstract

BackgroundEgypt has the highest hepatitis C virus prevalence worldwide where about 24% of the people are estimated to carry HCV and more than 50% of blood donors have anti-HCV in some towns. The burden of hepatocellular carcinoma has been increasing in Egypt with a doubling in the incidence rate in the past 10 years. Thus, the aim of the present study was to analyze the interleukin-18 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as a diagnostic tumor marker for hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with hepatitis C-related cirrhosis.ResultsThis study included 33 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) complicating HCV-related cirrhosis patients, 37 cirrhotic patients without HCC (cirrhosis group), and 20 healthy individuals who were included as a control for 9 months of follow-up. SNPs of the IL-18 gene were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction. There was a statistically significant difference in the GG genotype in the HCC group in comparison with the control group (P = 0.04). There was a statistically significant difference in the G allele in the cirrhosis and HCC groups in comparison with the control group (p1 < 0.001 and p2 = 0.03, respectively). Patients with GC genotype have a risk for developing HCC by 6.33-folds more than those with GG genotype while patients with GC genotype have a risk for developing cirrhosis by 5.43-folds more than those with GG genotype, and cirrhotic patients with CC and GC genotype had a risk for developing HCC by 1.17-folds more than those with GG genotype.ConclusionOur findings revealed that the analysis of IL-18 single nucleotide gene polymorphism could be a valuable marker for the prediction of progress towards cirrhosis in chronic HCV patients and also to subsequent development of HCC in HCV cirrhotic patients proved by the results of both GG genotype and its G allele; also, cirrhotic patients with CC and GC genotype have a risk for developing HCC by 1.17-folds more than those with GG genotype.

Highlights

Egypt has the highest hepatitis C virus prevalence worldwide where about 24% of the people are estimated to carry HCV and more than 50% of blood donors have anti-HCV in some towns
Participants This study included 33 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) complicating HCV-related cirrhosis patients (HCC group), 37 cirrhotic patients without HCC, and 20 healthy individuals who were included as a control, and all of them were from Mansoura Specialized Medical Hospital outpatient clinics for 9 months
We show that control patients with GC genotype have a risk for developing HCC and cirrhosis by 6.33- and 5.43-folds, respectively, more than those with GG genotype while cirrhotic patients with CC and GC genotype have a risk for developing HCC by 1.17-folds more than those with GG genotype Bl constant of regression equation of HCC versus control group, B2 constant of regression equation of cirrhosis versus the control group, B3 constant of regression equation of cirrhosis versus the HCC group, pl comparison of the control and HCC groups, p2 comparison of control and cirrhosis, p3 comparison of cirrhosis and HCC, OR odds ratio, CI confidence interval, R reference group

Summary

Introduction

Egypt has the highest hepatitis C virus prevalence worldwide where about 24% of the people are estimated to carry HCV and more than 50% of blood donors have anti-HCV in some towns. The aim of the present study was to analyze the interleukin-18 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as a diagnostic tumor marker for hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with hepatitis C-related cirrhosis. HCC is the most common primary liver cancer with over one million new cases worldwide annually It is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths [3]. Acute and chronic viral hepatitis as well as patients with cirrhosis caused by hepatitis C may be associated with slightly high AFP levels. This widely used marker does not yield satisfactory results in the early diagnosis of HCC limiting the universality of its application due to its low positive rate, false-positive results, and false-negative results [5]. Research on the combined effect of IL-18 SNPs and HCV infection on the risk and clinicopathologic development of HCC remains scanty [11]

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