Scientific publications
2023Journal articleEnglishOpen access
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Scientific publications
Donatien Serge Mbaga
Etienne Atenguena Okobalemba
Justin Olivier Essindi
Chris André Mbongue Mikangue
Cyprien Kengne-Ndé
George Ikomey Mondinde
Sébastien Kenmoe
Sara Honorine Riwom Essama
American journal of infectious diseases and microbiology
The diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is currently limited by the use of Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels and medical imaging. To improve the diagnostic process, this study aimed to compare cytokine levels in patients with HCC, liver cirrhosis, and chronic hepatitis. Sixty participants were consecutively enrolled in a cross-sectional study and divided into three groups: 20 with Chronic Hepatitis, 20 with Liver Cirrhosis, and 20 with HCC. The study was conducted in Yaoundé from December 2020 to April 2022. Blood samples were collected from each participant and analysed using a Luminex instrument to quantify cytokine markers. The data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 25.0. Significant variations in proinflammatory (IL-2 and IL-6) and angiogenic growth factor (VEGF) cytokines were observed among the three groups, with p-values of <0.0001, 0.050, and <0.0001 respectively. VEGF showed high sensitivity (80%) and moderate specificity (70%) at a threshold of 200 pg/ml, while in the one hand, AFP showed high sensitivity (80%) and low specificity (35%) at a threshold of 100 ng/ml. On another hand, IL-6 showed moderate sensitivity (60%) and high specificity (80%) at a threshold of 25 pg/ml. The findings of this study suggest that combining AFP levels, medical imaging, and cytokine markers such as IL-6 and VEGF can improve the early diagnosis of HCC.