TITLE:
The Value of Serum MidKine as a Marker of Hepatocellular Carcinoma on Top of Hepatitis C Virus Related Cirrhosis
AUTHORS:
Ayman Menessy, Ehab Fouda, Salah Aref, Ramy Agwa
KEYWORDS:
MidKine, Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Alpha-Fetoprotein, Chronic Hepatitis C
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biosciences and Medicines,
Vol.10 No.4,
April
8,
2022
ABSTRACT: Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is characterized by the deficiency of specific symptoms in the early stages of the disease and a poor prognosis. Biomarkers that have the diagnostic ability to distinguish between inflammation, cirrhosis, and HCC are needed for early case detection. MidKine (MK) is overexpressed in many malignancies, including hepatocellular carcinoma, gastric carcinoma, colon carcinoma, lung carcinoma, urinary bladder carcinoma and prostate carcinoma. Objective: The objective is to evaluate serum MidKine as a marker of HCC in HCV-related liver cirrhosis. Patients and Methods: This study included 50 patients with HCC (on top of hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis), 20 cirrhotic patients due to chronic HCV infection, and 10 normal subjects as a control group. History, examination, and laboratory investigations were performed on all subjects in the three groups including MK and Alpha fetoprotein (AFP) serum levels. Results: Serum levels of AFP and MK were higher in the HCC group than in the other study groups (P Conclusion: MidKine is a novel sensitive biomarker that could be used for early detection of HCC and has a high significance in differentiation between cirrhosis and HCC cases. MidKine levels are correlated with HCC stages and sizes.