Evaluation of serum glypican-3 and a-fetoprotein levels in patients with liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC] is one of the most common malignant tumors. HCC occurs mainly in patients with chronic liver disease such as in hepatitis B and C infection. HCC lesion of one cm in diameter with high or low echogenicity can be detected by ultrasonography and confirmed by liver needle biopsy, however, it is still very difficult to detect small isoechogenic HCC lesions especially when a-fetoprotein [AFP] is normal. The serum level of Glypican-3 [GPC-3] has been reported as a marker of HCC. The aim of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of serum [GPC-3] and a-AFP in patients with liver cirrhosis and HCC. All patients were subjected to full history taking, clinical examination, laboratory investigations, abdominal ultrasonography and ultrasonography guided percutaneous liver needle biopsy. To evaluate the role of [GPC-3] in the diagnosis of HCC, we simultaneously studied serum [GPC-3] and [AFP] levels in 40 patients with cirrhosis, 40 patients with HCC and 40 healthy subjects as a control. Serum [GPC-3] in patients with HCC [563 +/- 220ng/ml] and in cirrhotic patients [275 +/- 153 ng/ml] was significantly higher than control [206 +/- 127 mg/ml p<0.001] with 300 ng/ml [mean value of controls plus 2 standard deviations] considered as the cut-off point. [GPC-3] was more sensitive [86 vs 65%] but less specific [80.5 vs 90.9%] than [AFP] at level of > 400 ng/ml as a tumour marker of HCC. We conclude that [GPC-3] is useful marker, in conjunction with [AFP] and liver ultrasonography for detecting HCC

Haematological side effect of Helicobacter pylori eradication

The effect of Helicobacter pylori infection on systemic disorders is not well understood. This study was to evaluate the effect of H. pylori eradication on blood count, differential leucocytic count and RBCs indices. In this study, atotal of 115 H. pylori positive patients underwent eradication triple therapy for one week, with cured 100 patients. Complete blood count, RBCs indices and differential leucocytic count were analyzed before 2 and 12 weeks after eradication for the cured patients. The results showed that two weeks after H. pylori eradication, platelets count significantly increased but total leucocytic counts and neutrophils were significantly reduced. After three months, RBCs count, Hb concentration, MCV and MCHC were significantly increased, but lymphocytic counts was significantly reduced