ROLE OF BIOMARKERS AND IMMUNO COMPLEMENTS C3 AND C4 LEVELS IN CHRONIC LIVER DISEASES IN EGYPTIAN PATIENTS

Abstract

Majority of the population of Egypt has a heavy burden of liver diseases, mostly due to chronic infection with hepatitis C and B viruses (HCV and HBV) and Bilharzias that is considered as important environmental risk factor, which can go unnoticed until decades after infection, when liver damage becomes evident. This study is conducted to aid the Egyptian ministry of health to continue in the program of controlling HCV and Schistosomiasis to avoid patients suffering from failed treatments initiatives as in the past in treatment of schistosomasis by further investigations for diseases and its follow up. The study population included patients attending the Armed Forces Medical research Laboratories and Blood Bank. Individuals under investigation were divided into four groups comprising 30 individuals each. Group (1): included normal healthy individuals, group (2): included patients with chronic HCV, group (3): included patients with chronic HCV and group (4): included patients with Bilharzias (BILZ) infected by Schistosomiasismansoni .All patients (HCV, HBV and BILZ) groups were characterized by increase in all biochemical markers of liver function tests (AST, ALT and GGT) and reduction in albumin level in their sera as compared to the normal control group. The results also illustrated that in HCV and HBVgroups, there were significant reduction in serum levels of complement system C3 and C4, these effects were associated with significant increase in AFP level compared to normal control group. But HCV RNA viral load as measured by quantitative PCR showed no statistically significant correlation with AST, ALT, GGT , AFP , C3, C4 and albumin in patients suffering from HCV.