Sirus Jedari Seifi, Yusuf Bafandeh.
Study of Alpha fetoprotein, Ferritin Levels and liver Ultrasonic findings in hemodialysis patients possessing Hepatitis C virus antibodies in Tabriz.
Pak J Med Sci Jan ;22(2):154-7.

Background & Objectives: Alpha Feto Protein (AFP) is the most important tumor marker of Hepato Cellular Carcinoma (HCC) and ferritin is a quantitative marker of iron in storage compartments. In this study for early assessment of (HCC), anti–HCV positive patients were investigated with AFP and obtained results for ferritin levels and ultrasonic findings compared with each other. Methods: Forty nine anti – HCV positive hemodialysis patients as case group and 41 anti–HCV negative hemodialysis patients as control group were randomly selected and studied for AFP and ferritin using EIA methods and liver ultrasonic findings. Results: The mean of AFP level in case group (6.8±0.9 ng / ml) was significantly higher than that of control group (3.1± 0.3 ng / ml) and by statistical analysis significant difference between the two groups was noticed (p < 0.05).Comparing serum ferritin level between the two groups, no significant difference was observed (p > 0.05). No significant correlation was found between age and sex with AFP or ferritin in the both groups.Sonographic findings in anti -HCV positive patients with high level of AFP showed 16.3% slight splenomegaly and 2% splenomegaly with vein dilation and 4.1% splenomegaly with cholelithasis. Conclusion: The results of this study emphasis on the necessity of routine AFP evaluation in anti – HCV positive patients for early assessment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

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