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Subject Area

Internal Medicine

Article Type

Original Study

Abstract

Background: Liver cancer, specifically Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), is a main cause of cancer-related deaths globally. Early detection of HCC is also a significant challenge. Our research aimed to examine serum trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) level compared to alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in diagnosis and prognosis of HCC and other hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related liver diseases. Methods: This single-center prospective study was performed at a Specialized Medical Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, over a duration of 6 months from May to October 2021. The study consisted of 35 cases with HCC on top of cirrhosis, 35 with HCV-induced cirrhosis, and 20 healthy controls. All participants were subjected to various laboratory investigations, including liver function, serum creatinine, HCVAb, and AFP, as well as the level of TFF3 measured through an Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: TFF3 level was statistically significantly different amongst the three studied groups, with a significantly higher TFF3 being found in patients with HCC in comparison to both the cirrhosis and control groups. Additionally, TFF3 demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing cirrhosis from the control group, while AFP exhibited exceptional sensitivity and specificity in differentiating cirrhosis from the HCC group. Conclusion: TFF3 can be a valuable indicator for early diagnosis of cancer, providing potential insight into the mechanisms behind oncogenesis and leading to the development of more effective strategies for treatment.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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