Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma is a worldwide health problem . It is considered the second most common cause of cancerassociated fatalities and it is the fifth major cause of cancer all over the world. Cluster of differentiation 166 is a cell surface member of the immunoglobulin super- family that plays an important role in many biological activities. The distribution of CD166 in specific cell and tissue offer their involvement in the maintenance and development of tissue architecture, in neurogenesis and in tumor progression . Aim and objectives : to evaluate the diagnostic value of serum-CD166 in patients with HCC. Methods: This study was conducted on 90 subjects attending Department of Hepatology , Gastroenterology and Infectious Diseases in Benha University Hospitals as a cross sectional study. Subjects were classified into three groups; Group I : included 35 patients with HCC, Group II: included 35 patients with liver cirrhosis, Group III: included 20 apparently healthy subjects served as a control group. Human CD166 and alpha fetoprotein were assessed in all groups , all laboratory investigations were done . Results: Serum CD166 concentrations were much higher in HCC than in cirrhosis and healthy individuals . A positive correlation was found between serum CD166 and AFP. The area under the ROC curve for serum-CD166 was0.951, while in AFP (AUC-ROC, 0.943) , with a cut-off of 1357ng/ml (sensitivity: 94.3%, specificity: 97.1%) for CD166 . Conclusion : Serum CD166 may represent a potential diagnostic marker for HCC . |