Circulating Survivin and TIMP-1 in Hepatitis C Virus Associated Liver Fibrosis
Bakheet E. M. Elsadek *
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Assiut, Egypt
Ahmed A. Abdel Ghany
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Assiut, Egypt
Soad M. Abdel Ghany
Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Egypt
Shamardan E. S. Bazeed
Department of Tropical Medicine and Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt
Mohamed A. Abdel Aziz
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Assiut, Egypt
Salama R. Abdel Raheim
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Egypt
Abdullatif A. Ahmed
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Assiut, Egypt
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: The present study was conducted to assess the clinical utility of survivin, an anti-apoptotic protein, and the profibrogenic tissue inhibitor metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) as non-invasive biomarkers for the discrimination between stages of HCV-associated liver fibrosis that are largely asymptomatic.
Methodology: Circulating survivin and TIMP-1 levels as well as their corresponding proteins and genes expressions were, respectively, assessed by ELISA, Western blot and RT-PCR in 100 HCV-infected patients at different stages of liver fibrosis in comparison to healthy controls.
Results: With the progression of hepatic fibrosis, each of circulating survivin and TIMP-1 as well as their ratio (survivin/TIMP-1) showed a stepwise increase and exhibited significant positive correlations with the fibrotic stage (r=0.98 & p=0.002, r=0.95 & p=0.01, and r=0.93 & p=0.013 respectively). A gradual increase in both survivin and TIMP-1 genes expression was also observed.
Conclusion: In conclusion, survivin, TIMP-1, and their ratio could represent promising biomarkers for prediction and discrimination of different stages of HCV-associated liver fibrosis. The higher sensitivity and specificity of survivin may provide new insights into its possible use as a target for the antifibrotic drugs. Further studies with validated tests on a large scale prospective clinical trial are required to ascertain these results.
Keywords: Survivin, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1, liver fibrosis, hepatitis C virus