Utility of MicroRNAs for Diagnosing Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Hepatitis C Patients

This study evaluates a target population of patients with Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, including those with complications like liver cirrhosis (LC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), to investigate the diagnostic utility of a specific panel of microRNAs (miRNAs). The intervention involves quantifying the plasma expression (PE) levels of MiR-21, 1246, 205, 29a-3p, and 497 via PCR and comparing them to healthy controls to determine their efficacy as biomarkers. The primary outcome is to assess the sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy of these miRNAs in differentiating HCC from cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic HCV cases, aiming to establish more reliable screening tools than current standard biomarkers like alpha-fetoprotein (AFP).