Evaluation of selected markers of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C virus patients

To evaluate the usefulness of serum hyaluronan [HA], matrix rnetalloproteinase-9 [MMP-9] and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 TIMP-1 as well as AST/ALT ratio [whether as isolated or combined variables] in discrimination of stages of fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C [CHC] patients. Internal Medicine, Medical Biochemistry and Pathology Departments, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University and Internal Medicine Department. Theodor Research Institute. Thirty six patients with CHC and twelve age and sex-matched healthy subjects as a control group. Histological staging of fibrosis [F0. F1, F2, F3 and F4] was performed in liver biopsy specimen according to the METAVIR Score. Serum levels of HA, MMP-9 and TIMP-l were determined by the Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay [ELISA]. The AST/ALT ratio was calculated. Levels of serum HA and TIMP-I were significantly increased in all stages of fibrosis versus the control group. The AST/ALT ratio was significantly increased while the MMP-9 was significantly decreased in the F2, F3 and F4 stages only versus the controls. Using receiver operating characteristic analysis, the area under the curve [AUC] of the score to discriminate extensive fibrosis [F3] and cirrhosis [F4] stages of CHC from early stages of CHC [FO. Fl, F2] were 0.98 for TIMP-1. with a sensitivity of' 100% and specificity 72.9% . As for HA, the AUC was 0.93% with a sensitivity of' l00f and specificity 57.8% . By multivariate regression analysis, only HA followed by TIMP-1 wee independently associated with extensive fibrosis and/or cirrhosis and were accurate in discriminating F3/F4 stages from the early F0/F1/F2 stages. Furthermore, a combination of the our studied parameters increased the accuracy. The present results suggest that the serum fibrotic markers, especially HA and TIMP-1, may be clinically useful in discriminating early fibrotic stages from the late extensive fibrosis and cirrhosis stages in patients with CHC, especially if combined with other variables, as MMP-9 and AST/ALT ratio

Suitability of soluble transferrin receptor for the clinical diagnosis of different types of anaemia in children

We evaluated the ability of serum transferrin receptor [sTFR] to identify different types of anaemia in children. Thus 150 Egyptian children suffering from anaemia [iron deficiency anaemia, anaemia of chronic disease and beta-thalassaemia] were enrolled, together with 50 controls. There was a significant increase in the mean levels of sTFR in the groups with iron deficiency anaemia and thalassaemia, and a significant decrease in mean sTFR levels in the group with anaemia of chronic disease. Serum ferritin levels were significantly higher in all patient groups except the group with iron deficiency anaemia. There were also significant correlations between the sTFR and sTFR/log ferritin ratio [sTFR-F index] and different indices of iron status and of erythropoiesis. The sTFR-F index could be used as a diagnostic or screening tool for iron deficiency anaemia, anaemia of chronic disease and thalassaemia