title: Caspase recruitment domains. New potential markers for diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma associated with HCV in Egyptian patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY: Chronic HCV is a major cause of HCC development. Caspase Recruitment Domains (CARD) is protein modules that regulate apoptosis and play an important role in various carcinogenesis processes, our aim is to assess the possible role of CARD9, CARD10 and Caspase only protein (COP) in progression of liver fibrosis and pathogenesis of HCC in Egyptian chronic HCV patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  130 patients were recruited and classified into 4 groups; I: chronic HCV, II: chronic active hepatitis, III: liver cirrhosis, IV: HCV related HCC. Biochemical, virological studies, abdominal ultrasonography and liver biopsy were performed. Quantitative estimation of mRNA of CARD9, CARD10 and COP gene expression was performed by RT- PCR in liver biopsy from all patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In HCC patients; age, AFP and liver profile were significantly higher, HB and platelets were significantly lower (p value <0.01). The expression levels of mRNA of CARD9, CARD10 and COP in liver biopsies of HCC were significantly higher than other groups with direct correlation with age and no correlation with AFP, viral load, liver fibrosis or necroinflammatory activity. On differentiation between HCC and non HCC patients each CARD was assessed separately and combined, on combing the 3 CARDs, the sensitivity was 100%, specificity was 48%, positive predictive value 47% and negative predictive value 100%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CARD9, CARD10 and COP had no role in liver fibrosis but may be involved in hepatic carcinogenesis and they could be used as markers for HCC diagnosis and candid genes for molecular target therapy.
authors.affiliation: Virology and Immunology Unit, Cancer Biology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Abdel-Rahman
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Zekri
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El-Kassas
authors.forename: Yasmin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Saad
authors.forename: Abeer
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bahnassy
authors.forename: Hany Khatab Sameh Seif
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: El-Din
authors.forename: Samar K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Darweesh
authors.forename: Hanan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abdel Hafez
authors.forename: Gamal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Esmat
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D001706:Biopsy; D053468:CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D004534:Egypt; D005260:Female; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000379:methods; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D015854:Up-Regulation; D019562:Viral Load; D055815:Young Adult; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: C097353:AFP protein, human; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D053468:CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins; C430880:CARD10 protein, human; C505855:CARD9 protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins