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Vol.5 No.4 – 11: Molecular screening of Helicobacter pylori among Egyptian patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis

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By: Mohamed Y. Nasr1, Ehsan Hassan2, Ghada Hassan1, Asmaa Ibrahim3, Salwa. E. Mohamed1, Amal Abdel-Aziz1

1. Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute, University of Sadat City (GEBRI, USC), Egypt

2. National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute, Cairo, Egypt

3.Diagnostic and Research Unit of Parasitic Diseases (DRUP), Department of Medical Parasitology, Kasr Al-Ainy Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

Background: Globally Helicobacter Pylori (H. Pylori) infection and liver diseases are renowned with their high incidence rate. Recent studies have observed the relation between H. Pylori infection and liver disease progression to cirrhosis. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of H. pylori in liver cirrhotic patients. Patient and Methods: This study was conducted on 100 liver cirrhotic patients to detect H. Pylori infection based on UreA gene detection in ascites using nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR). Biochemical analysis was performed on ascitic fluid, serum, complete blood count (CBC), and polymorph nuclear leukocytes count (PMN). Result: H. Pylori infection was detected in 75% of patients with liver cirrhosis. In ascitic fluid, H. pylori infection showed a highly significant association with albumin and PMN (P=0.0001) and also with other biochemical analyses including serum ascites albumin gradient (SAAG), specific gravity, and glucose (P=0.005, 0.0031, and 0.02, respectively). In serum only, the infection showed significant association with alkaline phosphatase, albumin, and hemoglobin with P values of 0.008, 0.014, and 0.008, respectively. Conclusion: The current study results shed light on the significant role of H. Pylori infection in ascites of patients with decompensated end-stage liver cirrhosis suggesting a prospective relation between H. pylori infection and liver diseases progression due to hepatic infections especially HCV.

Molecular screening of Helicobacter pylori among Egyptian patients with decompensated Liver cirrhosis 1

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Vol.4 No.4 – 11 : Comparison between glypican-3 and alpha-fetoprotein in discrimination of hepatocellular carcinoma from cirrhotic patients

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By: Abdelfattah Mohamed Attallah*1, Mohamed Abd El-Hafez El-Far 2, Mohamed Mostafa Omran3, Aya Mohamed Saeed1, Mohamed Sayed Elbendary1, Kareem Abdelfattah Attallah1, Khaled Farid Mari4

1* Research & Development Department, Biotechnology Research Center, New Damietta City, Egypt

2 Chemistry department, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt

3 Chemistry department, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Helwan, Egypt

4 Tropical medicine department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt

Abstract

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer. Liver cirrhosis progression could be a consequence for developing HCC. Although alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is widely used as, a marker for detection of HCC, but it has poor sensitivity. Objective: Evaluate the diagnostic power of serum AFP and Glypican-3 (GPC3) as biomarkers of development of HCC. Subjects and Methods: A total of 182 patients, 110 patients with HCC and 72 patients with liver cirrhosis were included. AFP and GPC3 were determined using ELISA. The diagnostic power was evaluated using Area under Roc curve (AUC). Results: levels of AFP and GPC3 in sera of HCC patients were higher than in those with liver cirrhosis (p < 0.0001). AFP had Area under curve (AUC) = 0.772 with sensitivity 39.1%, specificity 97.2%, positive predictive value (PPV) 97.7%, negative predictive value (NPV) 34.3% and efficiency 53.4% while GPC3 had AUC=0.841 yielded sensitivity 76.4%, specificity 86.1%, PPV 94.4%, NPV 64.3% and efficiency 78.8%. There was significant weak correlation (r = 0.241; P < 0.001) between AFP and GPC3. Conclusions: GPC3 is good marker for HCC diagnosis. Therefore, GPC3 may be more useful than AFP in differentiating HCC from cirrhotic patients.

Comparison between glypican-3 and alpha-fetoprotein in discrimination of hepatocellular carcinoma from cirrhotic patients-converted

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