RESUMO
Chemokine receptors [CCR1 and CCR5], have been implicated in hepatic inflammation and hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC]. The present study aimed to investigate the expressions of CCR1, CCR5 on peripheral blood mononuclear cells [PBMCs] of Egyptian patients with liver cirrhosis [LC] and HCC and their correlation to the severity of liver disease and the clinical features of HCC. Isolated PBMCs from 25 patients with HCC, 10 LC patients and 9 adult healthy controls were stained with monoclonal antibodies against CD4, CD8, CCR1 and CCR5, then detected by using a flow cytometry technique. Patients were diagnosed by abdominal ultrasound [US] and computed tomography [CT] scan findings, biochemical liver function tests, serum alpha-fetoprotein [AFP]. Our data revealed that CCR1 and CCR5 expressions in liver cirrhosis patients were significantly higher than healthy controls [P=0.008 and 0.053 respectively], as well as in HCC patients but the increment were not significant [P= 0.120 and 0.216 respectively]. The expressions of CCR1 and CCR5 were increased in liver cirrhosis than in HCC patients, but the increment were not significant [P=0.120 and 0.216 respectively]. However, both CCR1 and CCR5 were decreased with increasing number of liver tumor in a negative linear regression correlation. Patients with liver cirrhosis or HCC showed lower CD4 and CD8 T cells count compared with healthy controls. In Conclusion The up-regulations of CCR1 and CCR5 in patients with hepatic cirrhosis confirmed the activation of the CC chemokine system in human fibrogenesis and may play a role in recruitment of lymphocytes to the injured liver