cfDNA Key genomic markers in HCV-Induced hepatocellular carcinoma in Egyptian patients

Malignant liver disease is among the highest in the world, with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounting for up to 90 % of all cases. In Egypt, HCC poses a significant public-health concern, representing 47.17 % of cancer cases. The high incidence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the Egypt was a major predisposing factor for HCC.

This study included 63 Egyptian HCC patients, 55 % of whom had a history of HCV infection.

Using a paired sampling strategy, approximately 2800 COSMIC mutations from 50 oncogenes and tumor-suppressor genes were NGS sequenced.

Total of 381 somatic mutations were identified, 91 mutations detected in the HCC group and 291 in the HCV-related HCC group. The top 10 mutated genes in the non-HCV group were TP53, ATM, EGFR, CDH1, FGFR1, MET, SMAD4, ERBB2, FLT3, and FBXW7, while in the HCV-related HCC group, genes were KIT, ATM, TP53, APC, FBXW7, KDR, RB1, SMAD4, EGFR, and PIK3CA.

The present study represents the first comprehensive somatic mutation profile in HCC Egyptian patients. This finding suggests that HCV viral infection played a direct and indirect role in increasing the somatic mutation burden in HCV-related HCC patients and opens new promises of targeted therapies for those patients.