Study of Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) in patients with chronic viral hepatitis C-related liver cirrhosis with and without hepatocellular carcinoma

摘要

Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) is a secreted protein which acts as an inhibitor of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. DKK-1 was found to be a helpful biomarker for many cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCC is multifactorial in origin and its main etiology in Egypt is attributed to chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Objectives: To assess the serum level and diagnostic performance of DKK-1 and α-fetoprotein (AFP) in Egyptian patients with chronic HCV-related liver cirrhosis with and without HCC.