Hepatocyte growth factor in Egyptian females with breast benign lumps and cancers.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) also known as scatter factor (SF) and its receptor c-met play important roles in mammary differentiation and have been implicated in mammary carcinogenesis. OBJECTIVE: Estimation of the plasma level of HGF in females with benign breast lumps or breast carcinomas and correlating levels with important prognostic parameters. SUBJECTS: Sixty eight adult premenopausal females were divided into control group of fifteen healthy volunteers and fifty-three patients subdivided into fifteen with benign breast lumps and thirty-eight with breast carcinomas. METHODS: A thorough clinical examination, plain chest x-rays, ultrasonography of the abdomen and pelvis, pre- operative fine needle aspiration cytology, estimation of fasting serum glucose, urea, creatinine and uric acid levels, alanine aminotransferase activities, C-reactive protein, HGF level and histopathological examination of the breast masses were performed. RESULTS: Significant increase in HGF levels was found in patients with benign breast lumps and in breast cancer patients when each was compared to controls and when cancer patients were compared to the benign breast lumps group. CONCLUSION: The serum level of HGF is an independent prognostic indicator for breast cancer.

Comparison of serum survivin and alpha fetoprotein in Egyptian patients with hepatocellular carcinoma associated with hepatitis C viral infection.

BACKGROUND: Survivin is specific antiapoptotic gene product expressed in a variety of human neoplasms whose overexpression might assist in early diagnosis and as a prognostic marker. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to evaluate the plasma levels of survivin and alpha fetoprotein in patients with chronic hepatitis C viral infection (HCV) with and without hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). SUBJECTS: 70 subjects were divided into: a control group (Group I) (20 healthy volunteers) and two patients groups: Group II, HCV group (20 patients); and Group III, HCC with HCV(30 patients). METHODS: Thorough physical examination, ultrasonography of the abdomen, laboratory investigations (liver profile, anti-HCV antibodies, hepatitis B surface antigen, Alpha fetoprotein (chemiluminometry) and Survivin (ELISA)) were performed. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in survivin level in HCV patients (Group II) when compared to the control group (p=0.039), along with a significant increase in AFP in Groups II and III when compared to Group I (P<0.001 for both). AFP also distinguished between the two HCV groups. The best generated cut off value for AFP was 10.9 ng/ml and for survivin 13.7 pg/ml. Serum survivin diagnostic sensitivity was 53.3%, diagnostic specificity 62.5% and efficiency 58.6%, in contrast to 100%, 92.5% and 95.7%, respectively, for AFP. CONCLUSIONS: While survivin showed significant increase in the HCV group, its diagnostic performance was lower and it proved to be less reliable as a tumor marker for HCC than did AFP.