This work aimed to investigate the biochemical changes of serum sFas/sFasL system and its usefulness as apoptogenic
marker in patients with Bilharzial hepatic fibrosis and liver cirrhosis with and without hepatocellular carcinoma.
Fourty patients, 22 males and 18 females were selected for this study (age range: 30-67 years, average 48.4±8.9).
They were clinically categorized as 15 patients with Bilharzial fibrosis, 15 patients with hepatitis C virus-related liver
cirrhosis and 10 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Ten healthy subjects, age and sex-matched, were enrolled
as controls. Statistical analysis showed that the mean value of serum sFas in Bilharzial fibrosis and liver cirrhosis,
with and without hepatocellular carcinoma, was significantly higher than in control group (P <0.05). Moreover, the
mean value of serum sFasL was significantly elevated in all patients with liver cirrhosis, with and without hepatocellular
carcinoma, and lower, but not significantly, in patients with Bilharzial fibrosis in comparison with the control
group. We conclude that the biochemical changes in sFas/sFasL system might be considered a potentially useful tool
as apoptogenic marker in some liver diseases.