Negative serology of Fasciola hepatica infection in patients with liver cancer in Peru: a preliminary report

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Main Authors: Claudia Machicado, Stéphane Bertani, Patricia Herrera-Velit, Jose Espinoza, Eloy Ruiz, Luis Marcos
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT)
• Subjects: Cholangiocarcinoma; Fasciolosis; Fibrosis; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Liver fluke; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0180-2017; https://doaj.org/article/28074fae6b3d453e8d620c7226833086

Abstract INTRODUCTION: The etiology of several hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases remains largely unknown. Although Fasciola hepatica has been associated with liver fibrosis in Latin America, it has not yet been associated with HCC. This study aimed to determine the existence of specific IgG antibodies against F. hepatica in the serum samples of HCC patients. METHODS In total, 13 serum samples from 13 HCC patients were screened using Fas2-ELISA. RESULTS Fas2-ELISA demonstrated negative results in all HCC patients included in this study. CONCLUSIONS The pre-existence of F. hepatica infection in HCC patients needs to be further investigated in epidemiological and experimental studies.