Hepatitis C Virus and Hepatitis C Virus-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Egyptian Patients: Driving Disease Progression

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide and it is commonly associated with hepatitis C virus infection. Identifying the key mechanisms and biological markers involved in the hepatitis C virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma may help in early detection and/or diagnosis of this malignancy. The aim of this study was to evaluate and assess the role of the serum VEGF, NF-kB, and IGF-1 in incidence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatitis C virus-infected patients. Methods and Results: VEGF, NF-kB, and IGF-1 were measured by ELISA assay in Egyptian patients with hepatitis C virus infection and hepatocellular carcinoma-associated hepatitis C virus infection, healthy individuals. Serum VEGF, NF-kB, and IGF-1 were significantly elevated in HCV and hepatitis C virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma patients compared to the control group. Additionally patient with hepatitis C virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma showed significantly higher serum levels of NF-kB, and IGF-1 compared with hepatitis C virus infection patients. Conclusions: Our data supports the role of VEGF, NF-kB, and IGF-1 in development of hepatocellular carcinoma during the course of hepatitis C virus infection and the use of these biomarkers in combination with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) may offer an improved diagnostic tool for hepatocellular carcinoma early detection.