New genetic markers for diagnosis of hepatitis C related hepatocellular carcinoma in Egyptian patients.

Background And Aim: Early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) enhances effective and curative management. New genetic markers with distinct diagnostic ability are required.

Aim: determine the expression of GPC3, PEG10, SERPINI1, MK and QP-C in the peripheral blood of HCC patients.

Hepatic fibrosis and serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) as predictors of response to HCV treatment and factors associated with serum AFP normalisation after treatment.

Background And Study Aim: Elevated levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) can be seen in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and liver cirrhosis without hepatocellular carcinoma and were negatively associated with treatment response. However, factors associated with its changes are not identified. We aimed in this study to verify a cut-off value for AFP as a predictor of response to standard of care (SOC) antiviral therapy in Egyptian chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients and identify factors associated with its changes post treatment.

The Effect of Peginterferon Alpha-2a vs. Peginterferon Alpha-2b in Treatment of Naive Chronic HCV Genotype-4 Patients: A Single Centre Egyptian Study.

Background: Egypt has one of the highest (16-8%) prevalence rates of HCV infection in the world. Approximately 90% of Egyptian HCV isolates belong to a single subtype (4a), which responds less successfully to interferon therapy than other subtypes. Studies comparing the efficacy and safety of PEGIFN alfa-2a and PEGIFN alfa-2b in treatment-naive HCV-infected patients have shown conflicting results.

Serum autoantibodies positivity prevalence in patients with chronic HCV and impact on pegylated interferon and ribavirin treatment response.

Background & Aims: Prevalence of serum autoantibodies in chronic hepatitis C (HCV) patients is higher than that in the general population. Interferon may induce autoimmune manifestations in patients treated with peg-interferon and ribavirin. Effect of autoantibody seropositivity and treatment response are limited and controversial.

Non-invasive prediction of hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic HCV based on the routine pre-treatment workup.

Background: Hepatic fibrosis is an inclusion indicator for treatment and a major independent predictor of treatment response in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Liver biopsy, considered as the "gold standard" for evaluating liver fibrosis, has carried some drawbacks. Currently used noninvasive predictors of fibrosis are considered less accurate than liver biopsy.

Incidence of Bcl-2 expression in bladder cancer: relation to schistosomiasis.

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.