Identification and detection of a hepatitis C virus antigen in sera of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of cancer death worldwide, accounting for over half a million deaths per year. Several lines of evidence indicate a strong causal association between hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HCC. The aim of the present study was to identify, purify and partially characterized one of HCV antigens in sera of HCC patients. Also, the possibility of HCV infection play a role in the development of HCC will be tested. Therefore, serum samples of 75 HCC patients and of 25 healthy individuals as a negative control were included in this study. HCV antigen was identified in these samples using western blotting and quantified using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Western blot analysis showed a single immunoreactive band in sera of HCC patients infected with HCV at 27-kDa. In addition, the 27-kDa purified immunoreactive bands were eluted, mixed and characterized using various physicochemical treatments. Briefly, after such treatements the antigen was found to have protein nature. Moreover, ELISA technique was used to quantify the 27-kDa antigen. The cutoff level of ELISA above or below which the tested sera were considered positive or negative was calculated and was found to be 150 ng/L. Based on such cutoff value a total of 61 out of 75 serum samples of HCC patients were positive for HCV antigen using ELISA. However, zero out of 25 serum samples of healthy individuals were positive for HCV antigen. In addition, ELISA showed sensitivity 81% and specificity 100%. The antigen detection method showed positive predictive value 100% and negative predictive value 64%. [El-Shahat A. Toson, Tamer E. Mosa and Mohamed Maher. Identification and detection of a hepatitis C virus antigen in sera of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Nature and Science 2011;9(3):24-30]. (ISSN: 1545-0740). http://www.sciencepub.net.