title: Epidermal growth factor gene polymorphism 61A/G in patients with chronic liver disease for early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma:  a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Overexpression of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in the liver induces transformation into hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in animal models. Polymorphisms in the EGF gene modulate EGF levels.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of EGF gene single nucleotide polymorphism and to assess its correlation with the risk of HCC in patients with chronic liver diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study included 80 participants divided into four groups: group 1 included 20 asymptomatic healthy control volunteers, group 2 included 20 patients with chronic hepatitis C viral (HCV) infection, group 3 included 20 patients with liver cirrhosis, and group 4 included 20 patients with HCC. For all participants, the following investigations were performed: routine laboratory investigations including complete blood count, liver function tests, sero markers of hepatitis viruses HBsAg, HCV-RNA by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and α-fetoprotein. DNA was extracted from whole blood for detection of single nucleotide polymorphism of the EGF by polymerase chain reaction, followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a significant difference between both patients with HCC and HCV versus controls in terms of the G carrier (GG and GA; 80 vs. 40%, P<0.05). In addition, the cirrhotic and chronic hepatitis C patients with GG had three-fold and 2.3-fold odds ratio for developing HCC, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The EGF 61GG genotype might be associated with a high risk for the development of HCC in Egyptian patients with chronic liver disease.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Emad
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Abbas
authors.forename: Olfat
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Shaker
authors.forename: Ghada
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Abd El Aziz
authors.forename: Huda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ramadan
authors.forename: Gamal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Esmat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics; D006579:Heterozygote; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor