EPIDERMAL GROWTH FACTOR GENETIC POLYMORPHISM AND ITS CIRCULATING SERUM LEVEL PREDICT THE RISK OF HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA IN EGYPTIAN PATIENTS WITH HCV (Genotype-4)-RELATED CIRRHOSIS.

Background & Aim of the work: Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its receptor play critical roles in carcinogenesis. A functional polymorphism in the EGF gene has been linked to increased cancer susceptibility. This study was aimed to investigate the association between both the EGF +61A/G polymorphism & its serum level and the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in HCV (G4) - related cirrhotic Egyptian patients. Methods: We analyzed 133 (HCC) (group I) & 105 HCV (genotype-4)-related cirrhotic patients without any focal lesion (group II). In addition to 100 subjects as a control group (group III). All were subjected to PCR HCV, HCV genotyping & ELISA assay of serum level of EGF. EGF +61A/G polymorphism was assessed by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Results: The carriage for allele G of EGF +61A/G (SNP) was significantly associated with development of HCC compared with long term cirrhotic group (OR?=?4.0404, 95 % CI 2.3275. 7.014, p= 0.0001). A significantly elevated EGF serum level in HCC group was found when compared with both cirrhotic and normal control groups (P<0.001). It is found that the value of 375 ng/ml is a cutoff point level of developing HCC among cirrhotic patients at 85.6% sensitivity and 87.6% specificity. Conclusion: Our data suggest an increased risk to develop HCC in Egyptian patients with HCV ( G4) carrying the G allele of EGF +61A/G SNP and with serum level of >375 ng/ml.