Diagnostic performance of extrinsic apoptosis pathway in hepatitis C virus patients: apoptosis fibrosis crosstalk.

Background/aim: Liver fibrosis assessment and evaluation of disease severity in hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients provides useful information for therapeutic decisions. Chronic HCV infection is associated with increased levels of peripheral T cell apoptosis. The aim was to study whether peripheral blood T lymphocyte apoptosis markers may contribute to clinical progression, and develop a simple index based on combination of apoptosis and routine biomarkers for accurate evaluation of fibrosis stages in HCV patients.

Efficacy and safety of the new antiviral agents for the treatment of hepatitis C virus infection in Egyptian renal transplant recipients.

Purpose: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) is common and can impact on patient and graft survival rates. The efficacy and safety of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) to treat genotype-4 HCV-infected KTRs have not been fully established.

Methods: A prospective, single-arm, single-center study was conducted at Mansoura Urology/Nephrology Center (Mansoura University, Egypt).

Treatment of hepatitis C infection among Egyptian hemodialysis patients: the dream becomes a reality.

Background And Aims: New direct-acting antiviral drugs have become the corner-stone treatment for HCV infection: they show promising results with accepted side-effects and low dropout rates. One of the available regimens is paritaprevir/ombitasvir/ritonavir (PTV/OMV/RTV). Our aim was to study the efficacy and safety of this drug regimen among HCV-positive hemodialysis patients.

Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C Infection Among Egyptian Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Pilot Study.

Objectives: Chronic hepatitis C infection incidence and prevalence are high in Egypt and represent a major health burden. Hepatitis C virus infection can affect graft outcomes in kidney transplant recipients. Treatment of hepatitis C virus infection among this special group was difficult during the interferon era; however, with advances in direct-acting antivirals, treatment outcomes have become more promising.

Chronic Hepatitis C Patients with Obesity: Do we Need two Operators for Accurate Evaluation of Liver Stiffness?

Introduction And Aim: Transient elastography is gaining popularity as a non-invasive method for predicting liver fibrosis, but inter observer agreement and factors influencing reproducibility have not been adequately assessed.

Material And Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Specialized Medical Hospital and the Egyptian Liver Foundation, Mansoura, Egypt. The inclusion criteria were: age older than 18 years and chronic infection by hepatitis C.

Fibrogenic/Angiogenic Linker for Non-Invasive Assessment of Hepatic Fibrosis Staging in Chronic Hepatitis C Among Egyptian Patients.

Unlabelled: Background and rationale for the study. Liver biopsy is the golden standard for staging liver fibrosis, but it may be accompanied by complications. Because of this complication, the aim of this study is to evaluate a simple noninvasive score to assess hepatic fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C genotype 4 patients which is very may have an important in diagnosis and therapeutic decision.

Noninvasive estimation of liver fibrosis in biopsy-proven hepatitis C virus-infected patients: angiogenic fibrogenic link.

Background/aim: The assessment of liver fibrosis provides useful information not only for diagnosis but also for therapeutic decisions. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a predictive score named the angiogenic index (Angio-Index) for liver fibrosis staging and to compare Angio-Index by King, Gotebörg University Cirrhosis Index, Lok, FIB-4, and aspartate aminotranferase/alanine aminotranferase scores in hepatitis C virus-infected patients.

Patients And Methods: Serum levels of angiopoietin-2, basic fibroblast growth factor, hepatocyte growth factor, and endostatin were assayed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 122 HCV patients represented in two sets (estimation group and validation group).

Diagnostic performance of T lymphocyte subpopulations in assessment of liver fibrosis stages in hepatitis C virus patients: simple noninvasive score.

Background/aims: Evaluation of liver fibrosis in patients infected with hepatitis C virus is highly useful for the diagnosis of the disease as well as therapeutic decision. Our aim was to develop and validate a simple noninvasive score for liver fibrosis staging in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients and compare its performance against three published simple noninvasive indexes.

Materials And Methods: CHC patients were divided into two groups: an estimated group (n=70) and a validated group (n=52).

Interferon-gamma is associated with hepatic dysfunction in fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma.

The relation between interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) levels and the severity of liver diseases through fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been fully clarified. Thus, we aimed to characterize IFN-γ levels in liver-diseased patients. IFN-γ levels were determined by Western-blot and ELISA in sera from 30 healthy individuals, 53 patients with non-significant fibrosis (F0-F1), 47 with moderate/severe fibrosis (F2-F3), 44 cirrhotic patients (F4), and 50 with HCC.

HCC-DETECT: a combination of nuclear, cytoplasmic, and oncofetal proteins as biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Currently, the search for suitable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) biomarkers is very intensive. Besides, efficacy and cost/effectiveness of screening and surveillance of cirrhotics for the diagnosis of HCC is still debated. So, the present study is concerned with the evaluation of cytokeratin-1 (CK-1) and nuclear matrix protein-52 (NMP-52) for identifying HCC.

Tracking anti-fibrotic pathways of nilotinib and imatinib in experimentally induced liver fibrosis: an insight.

The tyrosine kinase inhibitors imatinib and nilotinib have been suggested to have promising antifibrotic activity in experimental models of liver fibrosis. The aim of the present study was to investigate new pathways underlying this beneficial effect. Hepatic injury was induced in male Wistar rats by intraperitoneal injection of CCl4 for 12 weeks.

Evaluation of liver stiffness measurement by fibroscan as compared to liver biopsy for assessment of hepatic fibrosis in children with chronic hepatitis C.

The study evaluated liver stiffness measurement (LSM) using non-invasive transient elastography (TE) in comparison with liver biopsy for assessment of hepatic fibrosis in children with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Thirty children (mean age 10.13 +/- 3.

Nilotinib induces apoptosis and autophagic cell death of activated hepatic stellate cells via inhibition of histone deacetylases.

Increasing hepatic stellate cell (HSC) death is a very attractive approach for limiting liver fibrosis. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors have been shown to have anti-fibrotic properties, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we identified the mechanism of action of the second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor nilotinib in inducing HSC death.

Diagnostic value of fibronectin discriminant score for predicting liver fibrosis stages in chronic hepatitis C virus patients.

Background: Several noninvasive predictive models were developed to substitute liver biopsy for fibrosis assessment.

Aim: To evaluate the diagnostic value of fibronectin which reflect extracellular matrix metabolism and standard liver functions tests which reflect alterations in hepatic functions.

Material And Methods: Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients (n = 145) were evaluated using ROC curves and stepwise multivariate discriminant analysis (MDA) and was validated in 180 additional patients.

Role of hyaluronic acid, its degrading enzymes, degradation products, and ferritin in the assessment of fibrosis stage in Egyptian patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Background/aims: Liver biopsy is considered a gold standard for fibrosis staging, but it has a high risk of morbidity. Therefore, there is an interest in developing noninvasive markers for the prediction of liver fibrosis stages.

Methods: Hyaluronic acid, ferritin, N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase, β-glucuronidase, glucosamine, aspartate transaminase, and alanine transaminase were assayed in 210 individuals with chronic hepatitis C infection.

Comparison of early treatment with low doses of nilotinib, imatinib and a clinically relevant dose of silymarin in thioacetamide-induced liver fibrosis.

Our previous study has already confirmed a promising anti-fibrotic activity especially for nilotinib; when given at a daily dose of 10 mg/kg during the last 4 weeks of thioacetamide (TAA)-induced liver fibrosis for 12 weeks in rats. Therefore, this study was carried out to compare the prophylactic potential of low dose of nilotinib to that of its predecessor, imatinib, and a clinically relevant dose of the standard hepatoprotective treatment, silymarin, in TAA-intoxication. Male Wistar rats received intraperitoneal injections of TAA (150 mg/kg, twice weekly) for 8 weeks, as well as oral treatments with imatinib (5 mg/kg/day), nilotinib (5 mg/kg/day) and silymarin (50 mg/kg/day) from the first day of TAA-intoxication.

Comparison of imatinib, nilotinib and silymarin in the treatment of carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic oxidative stress, injury and fibrosis.

Effective and well-tolerated anti-fibrotic drugs are currently lacking. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the potential anti-fibrotic effects of imatinib, nilotinib and silymarin on established hepatic fibrosis in the carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) rat model. Male Wistar rats received intraperitoneal injections of CCl(4) twice weekly for 8weeks, as well as daily intraperitoneal treatments of imatinib (10 and 20mg/kg), nilotinib (10 and 20mg/kg) and silymarin (100mg/kg) during the last 4weeks of CCl(4)-intoxication.

Nilotinib counteracts thioacetamide-induced hepatic oxidative stress and attenuates liver fibrosis progression.

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the effects of imatinib and nilotinib to that of silymarin on established liver fibrosis and oxidative stress in a thioacetamide (TAA) rat model. Male Wistar rats received intraperitoneal (i.p.

Expression of p53 protein in liver and sera of patients with liver fibrosis, liver cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma associated with chronic HCV infection.

Objectives: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major aetiological agent of chronic hepatitis and it leads to the development of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The significances of p53 protein and anti-p53 antibodies levels in HCV genotype IV infected patients with different liver pathology were evaluated.

Design And Methods: Immunostaining and western blot based on monospecific anti-p53 antibody were used for the identification of p53 protein in liver tissues and serum samples.

Immunochemical identification and partial characterization of a native hepatitis C viral non-structural 4 antigen in sera of HCV infected patients.

Background: The identification of native HCV antigens may prove very useful in the diagnosis and early treatment of HCV infection. Here, we aimed to identify and partially characterize a native HCV-NS4 antigen.

Methods: The western blot, ELISA and immunohistochemical staining were used to identify the native antigen in sera and liver biopsies of HCV serotype 4 infected patients.

Immunochemical identification and detection of serum fibronectin in liver fibrosis patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Serum tests measuring the dynamic processes of fibrogenesis and fibrolysis may reflect the severity of liver disease. Fibronectin plays a role in liver fibrosis. The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic value of fibronectin in chronic HCV infection among Egyptian patients.

Discriminant function based on hyaluronic acid and its degrading enzymes and degradation products for differentiating cirrhotic from non-cirrhotic liver diseased patients in chronic HCV infection.

Background/aims: The invasive liver biopsy is still considered the gold standard for assessing patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Our aim was to determine the operating characteristics of a non-invasive index based on blood biomarkers for the prediction of cirrhosis in CHC patients.

Methods: Hyaluronic acid level was determined by radioimmuno-assay and its degrading enzymes and degradation products were determined by standard techniques in 153 patients with CHC with and without liver cirrhosis.

A discriminant score based on four routine laboratory blood tests for accurate diagnosis of severe fibrosis and/or liver cirrhosis in Egyptian patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Liver biopsy is still recommended in most patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Due to its limitations and risks, the use of non-invasive blood biomarkers has been suggested for predicting liver cirrhosis in these patients. Here, we analyzed a panel of routine blood biochemical and hematological markers of 455 Egyptians (272 males and 183 females aged 26-67 years; mean age of 47.

Immunohistochemical identification of HCV target antigen in paraffin-embedded liver tissue: reproducibility and staining patterns.

Background: Immunohistochemical staining has been applied successfully to detect hepatitis C virus (HCV) antigen in fresh frozen tissue. In paraffin-embedded tissues, however, minimal trials with conflicting results have been reported.

Aims: The present study is a trial to evaluate the identification of HCV antigen in paraffin-embedded liver biopsies using the anti-HCV monoclonal antibody (MAb) TORDJI-22.