title: Circulating pro- and anti-angiogenic mediators in patients infected with hepatitis C at different stages of hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a hypervascular tumor characterized by neovascularization. The objective of the current study was to determine circulating proangiogenic [vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), platelet derived growth factor (PDGF), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α)] and antiangiogenic [IL-4, IL-12, interferon gamma-induced protein 10 (IP-10), and angiostatin] factors in Egyptian patients with different stages of HCC. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the concentrations of these mediators in plasma of 135 HCC patients (57 Child-Pugh A, 24 Child-Pugh B, and 54 Child-Pugh C stage) and 50 healthy subjects. Results showed a significant increase in plasma levels of VEGF (P < 0.001), PDGF (P < 0.001), TNF-α (P < 0.01), angiostatin (P < 0.01), and IP-10 (P < 0.001) and a significant reduction in IL-12 (P < 0.001) in HCC patients in relation to normal controls. Classifying HCC patients based on their Child-Pugh's score revealed that the maximum production of proangiogenic mediators (VEGF and TNF-α) was present in HCC patients with Child-Pugh C score which coincides with maximum reduction in antiangiogenic mediators (IL-4, IL-12, and angiostatin). Taken together, these results indicated that the determination of these factors in different Child-Pugh's scores of HCC might be an important guide in clinical decision making regarding therapy and outcome.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology Department, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute (GEBRI), Sadat City University, Sadat City, Egypt.
authors.forename: Roba M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Talaat
authors.forename: Tarek A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Salem
authors.forename: Samir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: El-Masry
authors.forename: Arafat
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Imbarek
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mokhles
authors.forename: Amal
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abdel-Aziz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000097:blood*; D042501:Angiogenic Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology*; D004534:Egypt; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D042501:Angiogenic Proteins; D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: HCC; HCV; angiogenesis; child-pugh's score