ABSTRACT
Chronic exposure to Hepatitis B viral infections and in few instances hepatitis C also, are strongly suspected of causing hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC]. Moreover, in considerable numbers of HCC cases, the patients found positive for Hepatitis infections. The development of HCC is related to the integration of viral DNA into the genome of host hepatocytes. It is noted that African and Far East countries, where HCC is common, have high rates of hepatitis carries, probably with vertical transmission, of viruses from generation to generations. The scope of present study is to evaluate the incidence of HBV or HCV in factions in patients with HCC. A brief clinical history of 100 patients [Males; 58%, Females; 42%] with confirmation of HCC along with base-line value of a-fetoprotein [AFP], is taken and cumulated. !nail patients, AFP values were found to be elevated ranging from 13.44 to 610 ng/ml in males [mean 184.82 ng/ml] and 13.00 to 576 ng/ml in females [mean 189.54 ng.ml]. It was noted that in most of the confirmed cases of HCC, hepatitis infections of HBV and HCV origin is prevalent. In malj HCC patients, 24 were diagnosed with HBV whereas 19 with HCV infection. In females 18 HCC patients were HBV positive and 13 with HCV. Remaining patients were investigated thoroughly for any infection, but found devoid of any. However; cirrhosis of biliary origin, haemochromatosis, cystic fibrosis and drug-induced cirrhosis are persistent. It is concluded in present study that HCC patients were discovered with HBV and HCV infections. Nonetheless, these studies neither instate the correlation between presence of hepatitis infections and formation of HCC nor ascertain that hepatitis infection are the causative agents of HCC. The results are presented in relation to various risk factors, and clinical and diagnostic characteristic
ABSTRACT
In breast carcinoma, carbohydrate antigen 15-3 [CA 15-3], a mucin component, is the most important and commonly used tumor marker. It is a transmembrane glycoprotein containing a large extracellular domain of 69 amino acids. Several studies suggested that its evaluation could provide valuable clinical information. Assessment of CA 15-3 can also be useful during treatment of Breast cancer as well as to detect recurrence following primary treatment. CA 15-3 is a breast-cancer-associated antigen defined by reactivity with two monoclonal antibodies, DF3 [raised against a membrane-enriched fraction of human breast cancer] and 115D8 [raised against antigens of human milk fat globule membrane]. The main clinical application of CA 15-3 suggested being in monitoring the response to the treatment and gives reliable information on the recurrence of the disease. The aim of present study is to assess CA 15-3 in patients with breast carcinoma and its usefulness in monitoring and therapy. Serum samples of female patients [n = 56] suspected of or diagnosed with breast carcinoma were analyzed for CA 15-3. Significantly elevated levels were noted in most of the patients and correlated with their malignant tumor status and clinical conditions. It is concluded that CA 15-3 is currently the most widely used circulating cancer marker for breast carcinom·a. CA 15-3 can provide useful information regarding successfulness when comparing pre-operative and post-operative values. In our study, breast carcin9ma patients showed decrease in CA 15-3 levels post-operatively [although most of them still above normal reference range], depicting successfully of treatment and intervention, in addition to suggesting that CA 15-3 concentrations can also provide prognostic information. Furthermore, serial concentrations analyses have the potential both to detect recurrences pre-clinically and to monitor the treatment of metastases breast carcinoma