Department of Clinical and Chemical Pathology, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Shebeen El-Kom, Egypt.
Department of Clinical Pathology, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2021 Aug 1;22(8):2559-2567. doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2021.22.8.2559.
Natural Killer (NK) cells have crucial roles in immune responses against malignant transformation including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The NKG2D receptor has a critical role in the NK recognition of target cells.
We assessed NKG2D receptor expression as a diagnostic biomarker for HCC detection and progression in Egyptian patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related HCC.
We classified 81 patients into three groups: chronic hepatitis (21), cirrhotic (30) and HCC (30) patients, with 36 individuals enrolled to the control group. We analyzed NK levels in peripheral blood and NKG2D receptor expression in NK cells using flow cytometry.
We observed a significant decrease in NKG2D (CD314) expression on circulating NK cells and frequency of NK cells expressing NKG2D (CD314) in HCC patients. Also, in patients, larger foci lesions significantly correlated with decreased NK cell numbers. Multiple foci numbers and patients with a Child score C significantly correlated with decreased circulating NK cells expressing NKG2D and decreased NKG2D expression.
The percentage of NK cells in peripheral blood and NKG2D receptor expression could function as potential biomarkers for HCC detection and progression.
自然杀伤 (NK) 细胞在针对包括肝细胞癌 (HCC) 在内的恶性转化的免疫反应中发挥着至关重要的作用。NKG2D 受体在 NK 细胞识别靶细胞中起着关键作用。
我们评估了 NKG2D 受体表达作为埃及丙型肝炎病毒 (HCV) 相关 HCC 患者 HCC 检测和进展的诊断生物标志物。
我们将 81 名患者分为三组：慢性肝炎 (21 例)、肝硬化 (30 例) 和 HCC (30 例) 患者，其中 36 名个体纳入对照组。我们使用流式细胞术分析外周血中的 NK 水平和 NK 细胞中 NKG2D 受体的表达。
我们观察到 HCC 患者循环 NK 细胞上 NKG2D(CD314)表达和表达 NKG2D(CD314)的 NK 细胞频率显著降低。此外，在患者中，较大的病灶与 NK 细胞数量减少显著相关。多个病灶数量和 Child 评分 C 的患者与循环 NK 细胞表达 NKG2D 减少和 NKG2D 表达减少显著相关。
外周血中 NK 细胞的百分比和 NKG2D 受体表达可作为 HCC 检测和进展的潜在生物标志物。
