The Role of Bcl-2 and Bax as Markers of Disease Progression in Hepatitis C Virus Infected Patients.

Many apoptotic markers have been linked to hepatic cell injury in HCV-related liver diseases, and hence could be used as potential markers for early detection of the disease. The present study aimed to assess the role of apoptotic markers Bcl-2 and Bax in the pathogenesis of chronic HCV-related liver diseases. A total of 85 participants were enrolled into the study; 70 chronic HCV patients (35 non-cirrhotic and 35 cirrhotic), and 15 healthy controls. The serum levels of Bcl-2 and Bax were assayed in all participants by ELISA. Bcl-2 and Bcl-2/Bax ratio were significantly higher in non-cirrhotic patients than the cirrhotic and controls (P < 0.001). Bax was significantly higher in cirrhotic patients compared to the other groups (P < 0.001). Positive and negative correlations were found between serum Bcl-2, Bax, Bcl-2/Bax ratio and HCV viral load in non-cirrhotic and cirrhotic patients respectively. These findings provide an evidence that apoptosis is dysregulated in patients with chronic HCV.