A CROSS-SECTIONAL RESEARCH ON ASSOCIATION BETWEEN HCV INFECTED HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA TO ELEVATED LEVELS OF SERUM Α- FETOPROTEIN FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF DEATH FREQUENCY

Objectives: Research was aimed at the death frequency determination in HCV infected patients with hepatocellular carcinoma related to the elevated levels of alpha-fetoprotein serum. Methods: Our research was cross-sectional by design and it was carried out in Isra University, Hospital, Hyderabad in the time span of Mar, 2013 to Apr, 2014. All diagnosed cases of HCV and hepatocellular carcinoma were compared. The age of the patients for comparison was selected as above thirty years. Samples of the blood were taken to carry the levels of serum Alfa-fetoprotein measurement. We entered and analyzed the data in SPSS – 19. Results: In the total sample of 165 cases the mean age was calculated as (55.49 ± 11.67) years. Mean size of the tumor was observed as (5.63 ± 2.14) cm. In total research population 31 cases (18.8%) were observed with a size of the tumor below three centimeters, 65 cases (39.4%) had the tumor size in the range of 3 – 5 cm and 69 cases (41.8%) were observed with the size of the tumor as above 5 cm. Levels of mean Alfa-fetoprotein serum was observed as (7641.0 ± 3665.32 IU/ml). Our research also observed an overall rate of mortality as 70 cases (41.9%). Mortality was significantly associated with the above 5 cm tumor size with a significant p-value of (0.016). Conclusion: Levels of Alfa-fetoprotein serum are considered as vital tool to detect hepatocellular carcinoma in the HCV patients. Keywords: Hepatitis C virus (HCV), Alpha-fetoprotein levels and Hepatocellular carcinoma.