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Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a significant public health problem. The crucial role of interleukin (IL)-21 in HCV has been established. Thus, we aimed to investigate the association of serum IL-21 levels with the virological response to interferon (IFN)-based therapy in a group of Egyptian patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Clinical data were collected from 58 HCV-positive Egyptian patients treated with IFN/ribavirin therapy and 10 non-HCV-infected healthy subjects. Liver and renal function tests, complete blood count, viral markers, and pretreatment IL-21 levels were determined in all patients and healthy controls. Patients who achieved sustained virologic response (SVR) had higher pretreatment median serum IL-21 levels than those who did not. Thus, this study concluded that higher pretreatment serum IL-21 may be useful in predicting SVR in CHC patients.

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Background and objective: Hepatitis C virus is the most common cause of chronic liver disease in Egypt. This work aims to assess the use of the simple and noninvasive biomarker Serum Growth differentiation Factor 15 (GDF-15), along with Alpha Fetoprotein (AFP) and Ferritin for the diagnosis of advanced liver disease in chronic hepatitis C patients. Subjects and methods: This study was conducted on 60 patients, who were recruited from the National Liver and Tropical Diseases Institute, Cairo, Egypt, who were suffering from early & advanced liver cirrhosis and chronic active hepatitis. Twenty cases of healthy subjects served as controls. Serum (GDF-15), (AFP), Ferritin and Hepatitis markers were measured by ELISA method. Measurement of different liver enzyme activity was done by the kinetic methods. Results: Data analysis revealed significant increase in serum levels of GDF15 in patients with Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and Liver Cirrhosis (LC) compared to the healthy subjects. These results were parallel to those of serum levels of AFP, which also demonstrated significant increase in all patients groups as compared to normal control. A moderate increase in the GDF15 level was detected in the patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) compared to normal healthy subjects. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that GDF15 and AFP detection can help in the diagnosis and prediction of complications associated with CHC including liver cirrhosis and HCC. Also GDF15 can be used as a satisfactory serum marker of HCC and LC.

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OBJECTIVES: Apoptosis (programmed cell death) and the genes regulating this process (e.g., Bcl-2) have recently become a focus of interest in the study of cancer development and progression. The bcl-2 gene product plays a role as an inhibitor of apoptosis; it contributes to oncogenesis by suppressing signals that induce apoptotic cell death. The aim of this study was to determine the expression of bcl-2 in schistosomal bladder cancer and to compare it with the established clinicopathological factors. METHODS: Tumor tissues from 118 patients with bladder cancer were examined [57 with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and the remaining 61 with transitional cell carcinoma (TCC)]. Of 118 patients, 60 had schistosomiasis associated with bladder cancer. Bcl-2 expression was determined by enzyme immunoassay and the results were confirmed by Western blot and immunodot blot techniques. RESULTS: Bcl-2 was significantly expressed in SCC compared to those with TCC type in the presence of schistosomiasis. Moreover, bcl-2 was associated with clinical stages and lymph node involvement but not with histological grades. CONCLUSIONS: These observations detect a potential role for bcl-2 expression in schistosomal carcinogenesis, and hence selecting patients for future anti-bcl-2 therapy.

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