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Article Type

Original Study

Abstract

Objective The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of soluble Fas (sFas) on patients with chronic hepatitis C. Background Programmed cell death has been observed in leukocytes among patients with chronic Hepatitis C and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and now there is a strong trend to use sFas as a predictive marker for chronic hepatitis C and tumorigenesis in HCC. Methods Seventy patients were divided into three groups. Group I included 30 patients with chronic hepatitis C infection due to hepatitis C virus (HCV) (cirrhotic and noncirrhotic). Group II included 20 patients with HCC with HCV infection. Group III included 20 healthy individuals without hepatitis C infection or any other disease, which served as the control group. Liver function tests, complete blood count, analysis of viral markers, analysis of HCV-RNA by PCR, and evaluation of serum sFas by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were carried out. Results Serum sFas level increases in chronic hepatitis C and HCC, with positive correlation between sFas and aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin, and direct bilirubin and negative correlation between sFas and Hb level, platelet count, serum albumin, prothrombin time, and viral load (PCR). sFas at cutoff of 6581.12 could predict patients with HCV with 83.3% sensitivity and 65% specificity. sFas at cutoff of 6960.91 could predict patients with HCC with 85% sensitivity and 30% specificity. sFas at cutoff of 9125.99 could discriminate between cirrhotic and noncirrhotic HCV patients with 80.0% sensitivity and 53.3% specificity. Conclusion sFas can be considered a predictive marker for chronic hepatitis C and tumorigenesis in HCC.

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