The aim of the present work is to assess the level of serum tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFot) in patients with hepatocellular carcino­ma (HCC) and compare the sensitivity of this marker with conventional used marker, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). This study was done on sixty five patients attending the Gastroenterolo-gy Surgical Center, Mansoura Univer­sity, 25 patients with HCC, 20 patients with liver cirrhosis, 20 patients with chronic hepatitis in addition to 15 apparently healthy controls (both patients and controls were age and sex matched).
Serum AFP was estimated by an immunoenzymatic assay. Serum TNFa was assayed by a solid phase enzyme amplified sensitivity immu-noassay.
Results show that serum AFP and TNFa levels were significantly elevat­ed in hepatocelluar carcinoma, cirrho­sis and chronic hepatitis groups in comparison to control group, AFP and TNFa showed no significant diffe¹"-ence in cirrhosis group in comparison to chronic hepatitis group. No signifi­cant correlation was found between HCC stages and both AFP and TNFc/. TNFa had a higher sensitivity (100°₀) than AFP (80%) and lower specificity (40% for TNFa and 64% for AFPi in patients with HCC.