WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

Ibrahim M. EL-Agouza, Mohamed M. Abdel Ghaffar, Afaf A. Abd-Allah, Hanaa A. El Gendy, Kholod H. Taha*

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Taurine has been demonstrated to have a direct and indirect antioxidant effect and to display antineoplastic activity by preventing angiogenesis and enhancing tumor cell apoptosis. Also it was suggested that measurement of serum taurine level in hepatic patients beside fibroscan is of great value in the early diagnosis of any fibrotic and cancerous liver changes. Objectives: To correlate serum taurine level with the levels of the specific tumor markers (α- fetoprotein and α-L-fucosidase) for early diagnosis of different stages of HCC in Egyptian patients. Methods: This observational case-control study was conducted in the Tropical Medicine Department, Ahmed Maher Teaching Hospital. Eighty hepatic patients were assigned to three groups (Chronic hepatitis, Cirrhosis and HCC). Twenty healthy subjects were enrolled as a control group. Serum levels of AFP, AFU, and taurine beside complete biochemical analysis and liver biopsies from all selected patients were done. Patients who accepted to be a candidate for living donor liver transplant (LDLT) were referred to Ain Shams University Specialized Hospital (ASUSH) liver transplant unit. Results: A total of 80 patients were randomized into three groups (Chronic hepatitis (n = 20), Cirrhosis (n = 20) and HCC (n = 40)) and 20 volunteers as a control group. The serum levels of (AFP, AFU and Tau) showed significant differences among three patient groups (P=0). While AFP and AFU levels showed non-significant differences among HCC groups (grade 1,2 and 3), (P=0.057) and (P=0.584) respectively in contrast to Tau levels which were significantly different among HCC groups (P=0).Twenty-two patients who accepted to be a candidate for the LDLT were referred to Ain Shams University Specialized Hospital (ASUSH) liver transplant unit. Conclusion: Serum taurine level beside (AFP and AFU) are of great value in early diagnosis in HCC Egyptian patients and may have a rule in identifying end-stage liver disease (ESLD) patients candidate for LDLT.

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