Abd El-Maksoud Ehab Mabrouk, Ibrahim Noha E, Farag Mohamed M S, Yehia Fatima G, Mohamed Eman E, Swellam Menha
Department of Clinical Hematology Laboratory, Suez Canal Authority Hospital, Ismailia, Egypt.
Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Centre, El-Bohouth St. (former El-Tahrir St.), Dokki, Giza, P.O.12622, Egypt.
Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2025 Jul 1;26(7):2577-2584. doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.7.2577.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent form of primary liver cancer in Egypt, largely due to the widespread presence of hepatitis C virus. Symptoms of HCC often appear only at an advanced stage, making early detection essential through advanced methods. This study aimed to explore the association between the rs4444903 gene polymorphism in the epidermal growth factor and the likelihood of developing HCC in individuals with cirrhosis.
This study involved 152 ethnically homogeneous Egyptians, categorized into three groups: 49 patients with Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) with Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), 52 patients with HCV but without HCC, and 51 control subjects. DNA was extracted from blood samples, and the SNP EGF rs4444903 was detected using a genotyping assay.
The presence of the EGF G allele was significantly more common in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and chronic hepatitis C compared to the control group (P = 0.006 and P = 0.018, respectively).
The G allele of the EGF rs4444903 gene polymorphism is significantly associated with an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Egyptian patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, identifying it as a potential pathogenic variant. In contrast, the A allele appears to have a protective role. Individuals carrying the G allele may benefit from regular surveillance to enable early detection and timely intervention. Understanding the molecular mechanisms by which EGF polymorphisms contribute to HCC development may provide valuable insights for risk stratification and inform the design of targeted therapeutic strategies.
肝细胞癌（HCC）是埃及最常见的原发性肝癌形式，这主要归因于丙型肝炎病毒的广泛存在。HCC的症状通常仅在晚期出现，因此通过先进方法进行早期检测至关重要。本研究旨在探讨表皮生长因子中rs4444903基因多态性与肝硬化患者发生HCC可能性之间的关联。
本研究纳入了152名种族同质的埃及人，分为三组：49例患有丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）且伴有肝细胞癌（HCC）的患者、52例患有HCV但无HCC的患者以及51名对照受试者。从血液样本中提取DNA，并使用基因分型检测法检测SNP EGF rs4444903。
与对照组相比，肝细胞癌患者和慢性丙型肝炎患者中EGF G等位基因的存在明显更为常见（分别为P = 0.006和P = 0.018）。
EGF rs4444903基因多态性的G等位基因与埃及丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）感染患者肝细胞癌（HCC）风险增加显著相关，将其确定为潜在的致病变异。相比之下，A等位基因似乎具有保护作用。携带G等位基因的个体可能受益于定期监测，以便早期发现并及时干预。了解EGF多态性导致HCC发生的分子机制可能为风险分层提供有价值的见解，并为靶向治疗策略的设计提供依据。
