ABSTRACT
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (or liver cancer) is one of the most common human malignancies worldwide. Aetiologically, HCC is closely associated with chronic hepatitis B and C virus infection, cirrhosis and alcohol intake. The objective of the present study was to elucidate the chromosomal abberations (CA) in HCC patients using the trypsin G-banding technique. This study may help in understanding the pattern of the disease and to assess whether these aberrations are associated with HCC susceptibility. The study examined 51 HCC cases and an equal number (n = 51) of age and gender matched cancer-free controls recruited from the hospitals in Tamil Nadu. The HCC cases were grouped depending upon their age into group I (≤ 45 years) and group II (≥ 46 years). The development of effective markers for the detection of HCC could have an impact on cancer mortality and may have significant public health implications worldwide. Subjects were recruited based on their alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) serum level, which is an effective marker for HCC. In the HCC cases, a higher number of chromatid aberrations [group I 13(25.5%) and group II 43(84.3%)] and CA [group I 10(19.6%) and group II 28(54.9%)] were observed. In contrast, controls showed a lower number of chromatid [group I 5(9.8%) and group II 12(23.5%)] and CA [group I 4(7.8%) and group II 9(17.6%)]. In conclusion, the results of this study contribute to the validation of CA as an intermediate end point in carcinogenesis. Because many people are unaware of this lethal disease, this study will raise awareness of this cancer.
