Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Pediatrics

Hyaluronic acid, Ü-2 macroglobulin, apolipoprotein A1 and procollagen III are class I fibrosis biomarkers, derived pathophysiologically from ECM turnover and /or from changes of fibrogenic cell types particularly hepatic stellate cells and (myo-) fibroblasts.The aim of this study is to evaluate the non invasive serum biomarkers; Hyaluronic acid, Ü-2 macroglobulin, Apolipoprotein A1 and Procollagen III, of hepatic fibrosis in children with chronic liver diseases as an alternative to liver biopsy. In this study the four biomarkers were assessed in 120 patients who attended the Pediatric Hepatology Clinic, New Children Hospital, Cairo University .They all suffered from chronic liver diseases of different etiologies, and the results were correlated with Ishak score of fibrosis stage. Another 21 healthy children of matched age and sex served as control group. The present study showed significant increase in hyaluronic acid, apolipoprotien A1, alpha-2 macroglobulin and procollagen III correlating with degree of fibrosis (Ishak Score) in the studied patients compared with controls

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