Tie-2-expressing monocytes in hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma

Background Angiogenesis is a critical step in the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Tie-2-expressing monocytes (TEMs) with proangiogenic activity are recruited to the tumor site where they stimulate tumor angiogenesis.</p> Objective This study aimed to assess the role of TEMs in diagnosis of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related HCC.</p> Patients and methods The study was conducted on 50 patients diagnosed with HCC and HCV. Patients were categorized into two groups: one included patients with HCC (n=25) and the other included HCV-infected patients (n=25). Moreover, 25 age-matched and sex-matched healthy individuals were recruited as a control group. The frequency of TEMs, as defined as CD14+CD16+Tie-2+ cells, in the peripheral blood was determined by flow cytometry.</p> Results The frequency of TEMs in peripheral blood (PB) monocytes was significantly higher in HCC group (53.1 & PLUSMN;18.2%) than in patients with HCV (27.3 & PLUSMN;13.9%) and controls (8.4 & PLUSMN;3.9%). The percentage of TEMs correlates with advanced Child-Pugh stage in patients with HCC and HCV infection (P < 0.01). Upon performing receiver operating characteristics curve analysis, a cutoff point of 33% for TEMs was able to differentiate patients with HCC from HCV-infected patients. Regarding differentiating patients with HCC from healthy participants, the cutoff value of 33.8% yielded 88% sensitivity and 100% specificity. The diagnostic performance of combination of TEMs and a-fetoprotein was also assessed, with 98% sensitivity and 100% specificity.</p> Conclusion Percentage of TEMs in PB monocytes may be applied as a complementary biomarker for identifying HCV-related HCC along with a-fetoprotein. Inhibiting the proangiogenic functions of TEMs may represent a promising strategy to improve the efficacy of current treatments for HCC.& nbsp;(C) 2021 The Egyptian Journal of Haematology</p>