title: Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number in Egyptian Patients with Hepatitis C Virus-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the use of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content as a noninvasive molecular biomarker in hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCV-HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 135 participants were enrolled in the study. Equal numbers of subjects were enrolled in each of three clinically defined groups: those with HCV-related cirrhosis (HCV-cirrhosis), those with HCV-HCC, and a control group of age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers with no evidence of liver disease. mtDNA concentrations were determined using a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  mtDNA content was lowest among the HCV-HCC cases. No statistically significant difference was observed between the group of HCV-cirrhosis and the control group as regards mtDNA level. HCC patients with multicentric hepatic lesions had significantly lower mtDNA content than HCC patients with less advanced disease. When a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used, a cutoff of 34 was assigned for mtDNA content to distinguish between HCV-HCC and HCV-cirrhosis patients who are not yet complicated by malignancy. Lower mtDNA content was associated with HCC risk when using either or both healthy controls and HCV-cirrhosis groups for reference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  mtDNA content analysis could serve as a noninvasive molecular biomarker that reflects tumor burden in HCV-HCC cases and could be used as a predictor of HCC risk in patients of HCV-cirrhosis. In addition, the nonsignificant difference of mtDNA level between HCV-cirrhosis patients and healthy controls could eliminate the gray zone created by the use of alpha-fetoprotein in some cirrhotic patients.
authors.affiliation: 1 Clinical Pathology Department, Alexandria University , Alexandria, Egypt .
authors.forename: Doaa I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Hashad
authors.affiliation: 2 Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University , Alexandria, Egypt .
authors.forename: Amany S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Elyamany
authors.affiliation: 2 Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University , Alexandria, Egypt .
authors.forename: Perihan E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Salem
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D056915:DNA Copy Number Variations; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D004534:Egypt; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000235:genetics*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial