STUDY OF SOME BIOCHEMICAL FACTORS AND P53 TUMOR SUPPRESSOR GENE IN CHRONIC VIRAL HEPATITIS C PATIENTS WITH OR WITHOUT SCHISTOSOMIASIS

Abstract

Hepatitis C Virus is an important public health problem with chronicity impacting the well being of an estimated 85--150 million people worldwide. Also in Egypt, hepatitis C virus is an important public health problem; in addition to schistosomiasis they constitute the most common causes of chronic liver disease andHCC. Thus, the present work was devoted to study the effects ofHCV infection either with bilharzia! or non-bilharzia} on GSH-detoxification enzyme system that may play a role in the induction ofHCV-associated HCC. Also, the alteration in expression ofp53 gene due to HCV infection was studied. Therefore, three groups of patients were included in this study, non­ bilharzial-HCV group (15 patients), bilharzial-HCV group (20 patients) and HCC-HCV group (11 patients), in addition to a healthy control group (13 persons). To approach the aim of the present study, liver function tests (serum bilirubin, ALT, AST, albumin and plasma prothrombin activity) were carried out. Also, •the biochemical parameters involved in GSH-detoxification enzymes including glutathione, y-glutamyl transferase, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase, as well as glutathione S-transferase-pi isoenzyme were measured. The three groups of patients (non-bilharzial-HCV, • bilharzial-HCV and HCC-HCV groups) were subjected to ultrasonographic examination (particularly for the size of the liver, spleeri, gall bladder thickening,