Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma is a primary malignancy of the liver. Hepatocellular carcinoma is now the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, with over 500,000 people affected. In Egypt, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second most common cancer in men and the 6th most common cancers in women. This rising incidence and its poor prognosis make the early detection and surveillance of hepatocellular carcinoma of high importance. Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) is a polymorphic enzyme responsible for the oxidation of aldehydes to carboxylic acids, which leave the liver and are metabolized by the body’s muscle and heart. ALDH1 and ALDH2 are the most important enzymes for aldehyde oxidation. These enzymes are found in many tissues of the body but are at the highest concentration in the liver. AIM: The aim of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic value of serum Aldehyde dehydrogenase level in hepatitis C virus infected Egyptian patients with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: This study included 50 patients with cirrhosis, 50 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and 37 healthy volunteers. For all groups we studied clinical data, liver function tests, viral markers, serum alpha fetoprotein (AFP) and ALDH concentration using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: Our data showed that ALDH was more sensitive and specific than AFP, ALDH had 74% sensitivity and 82% specificity, P- value (0.000) but AFP had 66% sensitivity and 64% specificity, P-value (0.003). CONCLUSION: ALDH could be used as useful diagnostic marker for detection of hepatocellular carcinoma and in differentiation between HCC and cirrhosis at a cut off value of 41 U/L.