title: Impact of Hepatitis C Virus/Schistosoma mansoni Coinfection on the Circulating Levels of HCV-NS4 Protein and Extracellular-Matrix Deposition in Patients with Different Hepatic Fibrosis Stages.
abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV)/Schistosoma mansoni coinfection is common in Egypt and other developing countries. This study aimed to investigate the influence of HCV/S. mansoni coinfection on the concentration of HCV-nonstructural protein-4 (NS4) in addition to collagen III and matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) in different hepatic fibrosis stages. We found that coinfected patients (N = 186) showed significantly (P < 0.05, Mann-Whitney U test) higher concentrations of HCV-NS4, collagen III, and collagen III/MMP-1 ratio (CMR) than those with HCV monoinfection (N = 104) in different fibrosis stages. Conversely, coinfected patients showed significantly lower concentrations of MMP-1 when compared with HCV monoinfection. The elevated levels of CMR in case of HCV monoinfection yielded an estimated odds ratio of 1.8 and 2.6 for developing significant fibrosis (F2-F4) and cirrhosis (F4), respectively. HCV/S. mansoni coinfection increased the risk for developing F2-F4 and F4 several fold yielding an estimated odds ratio of 11.1 and 5.2, respectively. This means that coinfected patients have a 6-fold and 2-fold increased risk of developing F2-F4 and F4, respectively, over HCV-monoinfected patients. Thus, elevated levels of HCV-NS4 and CMR in HCV/S. mansoni coinfection suggest increased susceptibility of coinfected patients, compared with those with HCV monoinfection, for accelerating hepatic fibrosis progression.
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Center, New Damietta, Egypt. amattallah@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Abdelfattah M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Attallah
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
authors.forename: Sanaa O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Abdallah
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Center, New Damietta, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mohamed S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Albannan
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mohamed M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Omran
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Center, New Damietta, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ahmed A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Attallah
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
authors.forename: Khaled
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Farid
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D060085:Coinfection / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000821:virology*; D024061:Collagen Type III / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018450:Disease Progression; D004534:Egypt; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000821:virology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D024061:Collagen Type III; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; C093542:NS4 protein, hepatitis C virus; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; C522360:MMP1 protein, human; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1