Author/Authors :
ZEKRI, ABD EL-RAHMAN N. Cairo University - National Cancer Institute - Virology Immunology Unit, Cancer Biology Department, Egypt , MOHARRAM, RABAB A.N. General Educational Hospitals and Instillltes Organizatiatz - National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute, Egypt , BAHNASSY, ABEER A. Cairo University - National Cancer Institute - Pathology Department, Egypt , EL-DIN, HANAA M. ALAM Cairo University - National Cancer Institute - Virology Immunology Unit, Cancer Biology Department, Egypt , HASSAN, AHMAD NABIL LOTFY Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Tropical Medicine Hepatology Department, Egypt , HASSAN, ZEINAB K. Cairo University - National Cancer Institute - Virology Immunology Unit, Cancer Biology Department, Egypt , ZAYED, NAGLAA A. Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Tropical Medicine Hepatology Department, Egypt , EL- MAKHZANGY, HESHAM Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Tropical Medicine Hepatology Department, Egypt , ABDEL-AZIZ, ASHRAF O. Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Tropical Medicine Hepatology Department, Egypt , ESMAT, GAMAL Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Tropical Medicine Hepatology Department, Egypt
Abstract :
Background/Aim: Infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) frequently results in a persistent infection, suggesting that it has evolved efficient mechanism(s) for blocking the host cell s innate antiviral response. The immune response to virus infection results in activation or direct induction of the interferon regulatory factors (IRFs), which are a family of proteins involved in the regulation of interferon (IFN) and IFN inducible genes. IRF3 and TRF7 have been demonstrated to play an essential role in virus-dependent signaling, whereas IRFI is critical for proper IFN-dependent gene expression. The cunent study has been performed to show the expression profile of interferon regulatory factors (TRF-1, IRF-3, and IRF-7) in Egyptian patients with HCV-related liver diseases and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Material and Methods: This study included 90 patients, who were positive for HCV infection by RT-PCR, divided into three groups: Group I included 30 patients with chronic hepatitis C, Group II included 30 patients with liver cirrhosis in addition to Group III of 30 patients with HCC. RT-PCR analysis was done to determine the expression profile of IRF- 1, IRF-3, and IRF-7 genes extracted from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of those patients. Results: IRF-1 expression was significantly higher (p 0.001) in patients of Group I (86.6%) compared to those in Group II (46.7%) and Group III (36.7%), while IRF-3 expression was significantly higher (p 0.005) among patients of Group II (73.3%) in comparison to that in Group I (50%) and Group III (36.7%). On the other hand, although expression of IRF-7 was higher in Group II than in the other groups, there was no statistically significant different (p 0.05). Conclusions: Alterations in IRFs expression might be considered as markers associated with a higher risk of cirrhosis in patients with chronic HCV infection. Expression of IFR- 1 and IFR-3, were more prevalent in patients with chronic HCV and cirrhosis respectively in comparison to HCC patients. Thus, IRF-1 could be nominated as one of the tumor suppressor factors and could aid in the early detection of HCC.
