Serum Ficolin- 2 Concentration and its Relation to Severity of Liver Inflammation and Response to Antiviral Therapy in Egyptian Chronic Hepatitis C Patients

Abstract

Ficolin-2 is one of the lectin complement activators that increases in the serum of chronic HCV infected patients, in a trial for neutralization and inhibition of virus entry to hepatocytes. In this case-control study that was conducted on 40 Egyptian HCV infected patients we found that serum FCN2 levels were significantly higher in patients compared to normal controls. In addition FCN2 levels were higher in those with high ALT than those with normal ALT. After antiviral treatment with PEG-INF and ribavirin, 30 patients (75%) responded to antiviral treatment. Serum Ficolin-2 (FCN2) levels decreased significantly in responders and non responders. Serum FCN2 significantly decreased in male and female patients after treatment and significantly decreased in those with higher ALT than those with normal ALT levels. There was no significant correlation between serum FCN2 and PCR (viral load) and serum FCN2 levels were