Soluble Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and its Soluble Receptor 1 in Patients with Post-Hepatitis C Virus Liver Cirrhosis

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a well-known mediator of physiological and pathological angiogenesis and vascular permeability. Vascular endothelial growth factor might be involved in cirrhosis-associated angiogenesis as well as fibrogenesis. There are confilicting results concerning plasma VEGF level in cirrhosis. Aim: Evaluate the plasma concentration of VEGF and its soluble receptor1 and their possible association with liver function impairment in post-hepatitis C virus liver cirrhosis patients in attempting to select patients with refractory ascites and who responding to diuretics. Patients and Methods: A case- control study was conducted on eighty subjects, forty of them were patients with post-hepatitis C virus liver cirrhosis (cases) and another forty were free from hepatitis C virus (controls). Patients were divided into two equal groups according to modified Child Pugh scoring system for cirrhosis. Vascular endothelial growth factor and its soluble receptor 1 were measured in plasma by ELISA. Results: The mean levels of serum VEGF and s VEGF receptor 1 were 145.85±23.78 (pg/ml) and 1.36±0.61 (pg/ml) in Child B, 118.55±39.72 (pg/ml) and 1.84±0.87 (pg/ml) in Child C, 234.98±60.80 (pg/ml) and 0.62±0.26 (pg/ml) in control group. There were statistically significant increase of VEGF level in control group in comparison to patients (p-value 0.05). Moreover, there were statistically significant decrease of s VEGF receptor 1 in control group in comparison to patients (p-value 0.05). PlasmaVEGF and its soluble receptor 1 showed significant correlation with liver function test and portal hypertension manifestation. Conclusion: Our result suggest down-regulation of VEGF in chronic hepatitis C patient with manifestation of portal hypertension.