Comparison of Selenium Levels in HCV- Infected Patients at Different Stages of Disease

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is rising worldwide.One important etiology is a chronic inflammation due to hepatitis c (hcv) infection. Over the steps of a chronic inflammation over the stadium of cirrhosis of the liver it is possible that neoplastic nodules appear in the liver which can rise up to a HCC. In the pathogenesis of HCC oxidative stress seems to play an important role and as selenium is a key micronutrient in this process its levels could differ between the different stages of disease in hcv- infected patients. The aim of this trial is to examine these differences.