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Published on: February 19, 2019
Expression of apoptotic markers BCL-2 and Bax in chronic hepatitis C virus patients
Shaden Muawia Hanafy1, Osamma H Shehata, Nahla M Farahat
1Department of Molecular Biology, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute, Minufya University, Sadat City, Egypt. shadenmuawia@yahoo.com
Objectives:
Hepatitis C viral infection(HCV) influence the susceptibility to apoptosis. This could lead to insufficient antiviral immune response and persistent viral infection.
Design And Methods:
Group 1: chronic HCV patients with liver cirrhosis and ascites. Group 2: chronic HCV patients without liver cirrhosis and group 3: healthy subjects as control group. Bcl-2 and Bax expression were evaluated by flowcytometry.
Results:
HCV patients (with cirrhosis and ascites) had a statistically significantly low Bcl-2 expression, a significantly high Bax expression and a significantly decreased Bcl-2/Bax ratio compared with controls. While, the results are inverted in the other HCV group. Both groups of HCV, Bcl-2/Bax ratio showed a significant positive correlation with Bcl-2 and a significantly negative correlation with Bax.
Conclusions:
Chronic HCV exhibit a deregulation of apoptosis with the disease progression. This provides an insight into the pathogenesis of chronic HCV infection, and may contribute to the therapy.
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