title: Value of reelin for assessing hepatic fibrogenesis in a group of Egyptian HCV infected patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Development of non-invasive markers that can predict the stages of hepatic fibrosis without resorting to repeated liver biopsies is still an important goal to evaluate the effectiveness of antifibrotic treatment. The present work investigates the value of the assessment of peripheral circulating reelin, in which the liver represents its prime source, as a marker for monitoring hepatic fibrogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-four cases with chronic hepatitis positive for serum HCV RNA and 15 healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. Assessment of reelin in the harvested serum and in 64 corresponding liver biopsies using immunofluorescence technique was done. The results were evaluated in relation to the stages and quantitative morphometric analysis of hepatic fibrosis as well as the serum levels of the validated biomarker hyaluronic acid.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant correlation was detected between the levels of serum reelin and the semiquantitative assessment of reelin immunoreactivity in liver tissue, the stages of hepatic fibrosis, the morphometrically determined collagen and serum hyaluronic acid with a correlation coefficient of 0.675, 0.623, 0.479, 0.772, respectively with p<0.001. The sensitivity and the specificity of reelin for the determination of advanced (F2+F3) and significant fibrosis (F2-F4) were nearly comparable to the result of hyaluronic acid. In addition the area under curve (AUC) were 0.859, 0.871 for the reelin versus 0.878, and 0.891 for the hyaluronic acid.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion serum reelin may be considered an additional useful parameter for monitoring the progression of hepatic fibrosis in HCV-infected patients specially in those with active rheumatological conditions which result in an increase in serum hyaluronic acid.
authors.forename: Soheir S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Mansy
authors.forename: Mona M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Nosseir
authors.forename: Mona A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Zoheiry
authors.forename: Moetaz H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Hassanein
authors.forename: Mohammed F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Guda
authors.forename: May M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Othman
authors.forename: Hoda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: AbuTalab
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism*; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D018450:Disease Progression; D004534:Egypt; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D000091042:Reelin Protein; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000091042:Reelin Protein; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; D003094:Collagen; C000717127:RELN protein, human; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases