Serum alpha-fetoprotein level is higher in hepatitis C than hepatitis B infected chronic liver disease patients

Emokpae, Mathias Abiodun; Adejumo, Babatunde Ishola Gabriel; Abdu, Aliyu; Sadiq, Nasiru Magaji

doi:10.4103/0300-1652.126302

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…In contrast, the cytokine profile of HCC patient NK cells may suggest that during late-stage disease, TNF may represent the dominant proinflammatory cytokine involved in disease progression. AFP is detected in HBV and HCV patients with chronic active hepatitis, cirrhosis, and in patients with acute, but not chronic/ persistent hepatitis (44,45). Furthermore, elevated concentrations of fucosylated AFP (i.e., higher amount of tAFP secretion) have been detected in HBV and HCV patients with cirrhosis (46).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tumor-Derived α-Fetoprotein Directly Drives Human Natural Killer–Cell Activation and Subsequent Cell Death

Vujanović

Stahl

Pardee

et al. 2017

Cancer Immunology Research

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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with reduced natural killer (NK)-cell numbers and function have been shown to have a poor disease outcome. Mechanisms underlying NK-cell deficiency and dysfunction in HCC patients remain largely unresolved. α-Fetoprotein (AFP) is an oncofetal antigen produced by HCC. Previous studies demonstrated that tumor-derived AFP (tAFP) can indirectly impair NK-cell activity by suppressing dendritic cell function. However, a direct tAFP effect on NK cells remains unexplored. The purpose of this study was to examine the ability of cord blood-derived AFP (nAFP) and that of tAFP to directly modulate human NK-cell activity and longevity Short-term exposure to tAFP and, especially, nAFP proteins induced a unique proinflammatory, IL2-hyperresponsive phenotype in NK cells as measured by IL1β, IL6, and TNF secretion, CD69 upregulation, and enhanced tumor cell killing. In contrast, extended coculture with tAFP, but not nAFP, negatively affected long-term NK-cell viability. NK-cell activation was directly mediated by the AFP protein itself, whereas their viability was affected by hydrophilic components within the low molecular mass cargo that copurified with tAFP. Identification of the distinct impact of circulating tAFP on NK-cell function and viability may be crucial to developing a strategy to ameliorate HCC patient NK-cell functional deficits..

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tumor-Derived α-Fetoprotein Directly Drives Human Natural Killer–Cell Activation and Subsequent Cell Death

Vujanović

Stahl

Pardee

et al. 2017

Cancer Immunology Research

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“…These cells are highly expressed in HCV patients where they express high levels of AFP their presence is related to the severity of fibrosis, and expression of these cells has been associated with response to treatment, being higher in non-responders compared with responders [39]. Furthermore, HCV gene products can activate cellular oncogenes [40] such as AFP [41,42]. Additionally, the presence of increased injury and inflammation in case viremic patients may enhance the production of AFP [43] in G3 as compared to G2.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diagnostic sensitivity of arginase, alpha-1 antitrypsin and alpha-fetoprotein in hepatitis patients

Abdelgaid

El-Desouky

Ibrahim

et al. 2021

Highlights in BioScience

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Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are common liver diseases that lead to death in Egypt, especially in men. The current study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic sensitivity of arginase (ARG) activity, alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT), and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in the sera of patients with HCV (with & without viremia) and HCC. A total of 190 men classified as 40 healthy used as control (G1), 100 infected with HCV (subdivided into 50 with viremia (G2) and 50 without viremia (G3), and 50 with HCC (G4). The activity of ARG significantly decreased in HCV and HCC groups along with significant elevation in the level of AAT and AFP as compared with the control. Although a non-significant variation was scored in AST/ALT, significant differences were observed among AST/ARG and ARG/ALT in the pathogenic groups as compared with the healthy group. Moreover, significant variations in ARG, AAT, AFP, AST/ARG, and ARG/ALT were observed between viremia and non-viremia. Although AFP scored significant change among the viremia and HCC, the rest parameters scored non-significant changes between both groups. Furthermore, a receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) showed the diagnostic ability for the selected parameters with high sensitivity and multiple linear regressions exhibited good associations between those parameters. These findings suggest the using possibility of ARG, AAT, and AFP in the diagnosis and/or follow-up of patients with HCV or HCC.

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“…Correlative biochemical and clinical interactions between AFP and other routinely used markers in HCV infection have been poorly studied. HCV could induce, for example, a greater plasma increase in AFP compared to hepatitis B virus (HBV) ( 19 ). The degree of fibrosis and/or inflammation also influences AFP plasma concentration ( 20 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamics of serum α‑fetoprotein in viral hepatitis C without hepatocellular carcinoma

Isac

Ioaniţescu

et al. 2021

Exp Ther Med

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Viral hepatitis C represents a significant liver pathology worldwide, with a detrimental impact on national health systems. The present study aimed to correlate the levels of serum α-fetoprotein (AFP) with prognostic tools such as Fibroscan ® , the presence of mixed cryoglobulinemia, and various demographic and standard biochemical markers, in patients with chronic hepatitis C, unrelated to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A clinical study was designed considering three study groups: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) group including 35 patients with chronic hepatitis C and detectible viral load; sustained viral response (SVR) group including 20 HCV patients without detectable virus load 12 weeks after therapy cessation; a control group represented by 37 healthy volunteers. It was observed that serum AFP was moderately increased in the HCV and SVR groups and was positively correlated with aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (AP), and γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT). The incidence of mixed cryoglobulinemia was increased in the HCV group, and the degree of fibrosis assessed by Fibroscan ® was increased in both the HCV and SVR groups. In conclusion, the data revealed that a moderate increase in AFP levels could be present in patients with HCV even in the absence of HCC, unrelated to viral load or therapy response and that there was a linear positive correlation between serum levels of AFP and the degree of hepatic cytolysis and cholestasis. Additionally, mixed cryoglobulinemia was present in HCV patients with patent viral load, decreasing in those with SVR after therapy cessation unrelated to any renal impairment, while the degree of fibrosis was increased in HCV-infected patients, with no reversibility 12 weeks after successful therapy.

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Serum alpha-fetoprotein level is higher in hepatitis C than hepatitis B infected chronic liver disease patients

Cited by 5 publications

References 23 publications

Tumor-Derived α-Fetoprotein Directly Drives Human Natural Killer–Cell Activation and Subsequent Cell Death

Tumor-Derived α-Fetoprotein Directly Drives Human Natural Killer–Cell Activation and Subsequent Cell Death

Diagnostic sensitivity of arginase, alpha-1 antitrypsin and alpha-fetoprotein in hepatitis patients

Dynamics of serum α‑fetoprotein in viral hepatitis C without hepatocellular carcinoma

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