Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer, which also makes up the highest percentage of mortality caused by cancer globally. HCC is linked to many risk factors as the liver is a central, vital organ that interacts with many of the body's processes. Oxidative stress is shown to be involved in the pathogenesis and progression of HCC. Paraoxonase (PON) is one of the antioxidant enzymes that participate in many biological reactions in different organs. The current study aimed to investigate the systemic role of PON in HCC patients and its correlation with liver tests. Accordingly, case-control study were conducted on 120 subjects divided into two groups: 60 control and 60 HCC patients of matching age. Serum level of PON was observed to be significantly lower in HCC patients compared to non-HCC individuals, correlating negatively with the activity of gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), where it was observed to be markedly elevated in HCC patients. Additionally, the activities of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase were also significantly increased. PON has shown good predictive sensitivity (0.839) for HCC. In conclusion, reducing PON in HCC can play an important role in the progression of the disease and can be used successfully for the prognosis of liver cancer.
Bassam et al. (2024) studied this question.