Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Science, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
Medical, Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies "G.F. Ingrassia", University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
Sci Rep. 2022 Mar 23;12(1):5025. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-09030-1.
Nutritional and environmental factors had been reporting in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we focused our intervention in the correlation between the folate status and the progression of HCC in patients with chronic virus C (HCV) infection. Nine-eight patients, HCV positive with HCC and one hundred of patients with HCV positive liver cirrhosis (LC) and one hundred patients with HCV positive chronic hepatitis (CHC) and one hundred control subjects were enrolled. The viremia for hepatitis C patients (HCV) was determined by HCV RNA with polymerase chain reaction. HCV was confirmed by HCV RNA or a positive anti-HCV test with chronic liver disease. The comparison of folate serum levels in HCC patients vs Liver Cirrhosis (LC) patients showed a significant decrease of 1.16 ng/ml P = 0.0006 (95% CI-1.925 to - 0.395), in HCC patients versus CHC a decrease of 1.40 ng/ml P < 0.0001 (95% CI-2.16 to - 0.63), in HCC vs controls a decrease of 3.80 ng/ml P < 0.0001 (95% CI-4.56 to - 3.03). The comparison of homocysteine Hcy serum levels showed a significant increase in HCC vs LC of 4 nmol/L (P < 0.0001, 95% CI 2.77 to 5.22) versus CHC of 9 nmol/L (P < 0.0001, 95% CI 7.78 to 10.22) and vs Controls 9.30 nmol/L (P < 0.0001, 95% CI 8.07 to 10.52). With progression of HCV infection from chronic hepatitis to cirrhosis, then to HCC development, serum folate levels are progressively decreasing together with a progressive increase in serum homocysteine levels reflecting its role in disease progress and carcinogenesis.
营养和环境因素已被报道与肝细胞癌（HCC）的进展有关。在这项研究中，我们将干预重点放在叶酸状态与慢性 C 型肝炎病毒（HCV）感染患者 HCC 进展之间的相关性上。共纳入了 98 例 HCV 阳性合并 HCC 的患者、100 例 HCV 阳性肝硬化（LC）患者、100 例 HCV 阳性慢性肝炎（CHC）患者和 100 例对照者。采用聚合酶链反应检测 HCV 患者的血 HBV 载量。通过 HCV RNA 或 HCV RNA 阳性伴慢性肝病时抗-HCV 阳性试验确诊 HCV。与 LC 患者相比，HCC 患者的血清叶酸水平显著降低 1.16ng/ml（P=0.0006，95%CI-1.925 至-0.395），与 CHC 患者相比，HCC 患者的血清叶酸水平降低 1.40ng/ml（P<0.0001，95%CI-2.16 至-0.63），与对照组相比，HCC 患者的血清叶酸水平降低 3.80ng/ml（P<0.0001，95%CI-4.56 至-3.03）。与 LC 患者相比，HCC 患者的血清同型半胱氨酸（Hcy）水平显著升高 4nmol/L（P<0.0001，95%CI 2.77 至 5.22），与 CHC 患者相比升高 9nmol/L（P<0.0001，95%CI 7.78 至 10.22），与对照组相比升高 9.30nmol/L（P<0.0001，95%CI 8.07 至 10.52）。随着 HCV 感染从慢性肝炎发展为肝硬化，然后发展为 HCC，血清叶酸水平逐渐降低，同时血清同型半胱氨酸水平逐渐升高，反映了其在疾病进展和癌变中的作用。
