Analysis of circulating nucleic acids in plasma, such as cell free RNA offers an avenue for non-invasive monitoring of a variety of physiological and pathological conditions. Because albumin is the most abundant protein in the body and is synthesized by the liver, the current study was designed to assess plasma albumin mRNA (ALB mRNA), as a non-invasive diagnostic marker of liver injury in chronic HCV (CHC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The study included 50 patients, 20 patients had CHC and 20 were of HCC as well as 10 healthy control subjects. Patients were subjected to clinical examination, abdominal ultrasonography, CT for HCC cases and laboratory investigations including liver function tests, AFP and plasma albumin mRNA by Real Time-PCR.
Patients with CHC and HCC have a significant increase in their plasma ALB mRNA than controls; the higher level was in HCC cases.
ALB mRNA in plasma is liver specific; it is increased in liver disease suggesting liver pathology and may be more diagnostically sensitive than alpha-fetoprotein and Alanine amino transaminase (ALT) serum levels. Thus, future studies should assess if the plasma concentration of ALB mRNA may be used as therapy monitoring.