Vitamin B12: A Non-invasive Biomarker for Monitoring Hepatocellular Carcinoma Development among Egyptian HCV-Infected Patients

Several studies have revealed an association between the high serum levels of vitamin B12 (vit B12) and the stage of chronic liver diseases. This study analyzes serum vit B12 levels among Egyptian hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. The serum levels of vit B12 were examined in HCV patients without cirrhosis (HCV group, n=30), with cirrhosis (HCV+cirrhosis group, n=24), HCC patients (HCC group, n=30), and healthy individuals (control group, n=16). Serum vit B12 levels increased significantly in HCV+cirrhosis and HCC groups compared with the control group. HCC patients showed a significant increase in vit B12 levels compared with HCV patients with cirrhosis. Moreover, HCV patients without cirrhosis showed no significant increase in vit B12 level than the control group. Also, patients with fibrosis scores (F) from F2 to F4 showed a significant increase in serum vit B12 levels compared with the control group. Regarding correlations with liver functions, serum vit B12 was negatively correlated with serum albumin level and positively correlated with total bilirubin level. Interestingly, serum vit B12 was also positively correlated with serum AFP level. This clinical study revealed that the level of vit B12 could be used as a non-invasive biomarker to monitor liver fibrosis and HCC development among HCV-infected patients.