Circulating MicroRNAs as Biomarkers in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Among Somali Patients

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and is the third leading cause of cancer that related death in the worldwide. According the burden of cancer in economically developing countries is increasing in a result of population aging and growth in addition to increasing the adaptation of cancer-related lifestyle choices such as physical inactivates, smoking and western diets. Liver cancer in women are seventh most common diagnosed cancer and sixth most cause of cancer death while in men are fifth diagnosed cancer and second cause of cancer death. In 2008 liver cancer new cases were estimated 748,300 and death cases were 695,900 occurred in worldwide. Viral hepatitis infections, alcohol, fungal toxins (aflatoxins), food additives, toxins produced industrial chemicals and water and air pollutants are the major factors of primary liver cancer.

Although, current most of doctors and laboratorians of HCC diagnoses bases are medical imaging such ultrasound, MRI, CT-scan and laboratory analyses tests for serum tumor markers such as alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) which characterized by very low of sensitivity in the detection of HCC. Last two decades, scientists was focused researches of small molecules called MicroRNAs which are produced by human cells and can be released in the blood.

MicroRNAs are class of (20 - 25 nucleotide in length) non-coding RNAs, and its emerging non-invasive diagnostic biomarker for cancer diagnosing, screening, monitoring treatment and to predict prognosis. A number of studies exposed an abnormal expression of human serum MicroRNAs in many tumors such as liver, pancreatic and colorectal carcinoma. Recently, MicroRNAs have a role in the development of HCC, but still it is unknown if these small molecules will be used as biomarker for diagnosis and survival of HCC.

Purpose:

1. To recognize serum microRNAs as a diagnosis or prediction biomarker for Hepatocellular carcinoma.
2. To correlate with the expression level of microRNAs between HCC patients , chronic liver disease and health volunteer subjects.
3. To determine the clinical utility of MicroRNAs as a diagnostic maker of Hepatocellular carcinoma comparing with alpha fetoprotein the current marker of (HCC).