Assem Abdeen Radwan - Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Aswan University, Egypt.
Nour El-Dean Abd-Elazeem Hefney - Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Assuit University, Egypt.
Emad Farah Mohammed Kholef - Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Aswan University, Egypt.
Abdallah Elebidi - Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Aswan University, Egypt.
Hala Mahmoud - Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Aswan University, Egypt.

Background: The Transforming Growth Factor-beta (TGF-β) is one of the main growth factors associated with fibrosis or cirrhosis progression in the liver, but its role in hepatocarcinogenesis is controversial. To highlight the role of Transforming Growth Factor β as a marker of Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Methods: Ninety subjects were enrolled in this study, classified into three groups: Group I (chronic HCV group) included ۳۰ patients with chronic HCV infection; Group II (HCC group) include ۳۰ patients having HCC and chronic HCV infection and Group III consisted of ۳۰ age and sex-matched healthy controls. TGF-β was evaluated in all the enrollees and its levels were correlated to liver function and other clinical parameters. Results: TGF-β was found significantly higher in HCC group than in control and chronic HCV (P <۰.۰۰۱). In addition, it was correlated with biochemical and clinical parameters of cancer. Conclusions: Patients with HCC showed increased level of TGF-β compared to chronic HCV infection patients and controls.

Chronic HCV, Liver cirrhosis, Transforming Growth Factor β.