ABSTRACT
Hepatic fibrosis, commonly present in chronic liver diseases, is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality through the resultant portal hypertension and hepatocellular dysfunction. To study the diagnostic significance of serum procollagen III peptide [P III P] and laminin PI [Lam PI] in Egyptian children with chronic hepatopathies, these two fibrogenesis markers were measured in 80 children [6-12 years old], 10 healthy controls, 20 with pure bilharziasis [group 1], 15 with chronic active hepatitis [group 2], 20 with mixed bilharziasis and cirrhosis [group 3] and 15 with active cirrhosis [group 4]. Both parameters were significantly elevated in all the patients groups. In groups 3 and 4, they were. significantly higher than in groups 1 and 2. Although no significant differences were found between groups 1 and 2 or between groups 3 and 4, the study of one way analysis of variance [ANOVA] revealed that they had significantly high F-ratios that were not preceded except by serum albumin, reflecting their high ability to differentiate between our groups of patients. HBc Ab and Anti-HCV Ab were the only hepatitis markers with significantly elevated incidences of positivity found in groups 2, 3 and 4 denoting that HBV and HCV are important causes of chronic liver diseases in Egypt. We recommend serum Lam PI and PIIIP to be estimated repeatedly in every child with liver disease. Greater and persistent efforts are needed to combat bilharziasis, HBV and HCV