Evidence mapPaperPMID 41303553Full record

ArticleInternational journal of molecular sciences2025

Integrating CTLA-4 Genetics and Soluble Isoforms for the Stratification of HCV-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma Risk and Aggressiveness.

Marwa Hassan, Walaa H El-Maadawy, Sally A Fahim, Sherihan M Youssef, Omaima Mostafa Badran, Mahmoud Balata

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Article in International journal of molecular sciences, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Marwa HassanImmunology Department, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza 12411, Egypt.ORCID 0000-0001-9751-8129
Walaa H El-MaadawyPharmacology Department, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza 12411, Egypt.ORCID 0000-0003-4632-3510
Sally A FahimBiochemistry Department, School of Pharmacy, NewGiza University, Giza 12577, Egypt.ORCID 0000-0002-7934-5030
Sherihan M YoussefPharmacy Practice Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Delta University for Science and Technology, Gamasa 11152, Egypt.
Omaima Mostafa BadranHepatogastoenterology Department, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza 12411, Egypt.
Mahmoud BalataUniversity Hospital Rostock, Ernst-Heydemann-Straße 6, 18057 Rostock, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Host genetic factors influencing immune regulation are believed to modulate susceptibility to hepatitis C virus (HCV) and related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to investigate the association of Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) genetic variants with HCV-related HCC risk, soluble CTLA-4 (sCTLA-4) levels, and disease severity. 225 age- and sex-matched participants (75 controls, 75 HCV, and 75 HCV-HCC) were enrolled. TaqMan allelic discrimination assays were used for genotyping three CTLA-4 SNPs, and sCTLA-4 was quantified by ELISA. Our results demonstrated that the rs231726 TT genotype and T-allele were significantly associated with HCC. The rs11571317 CC genotype and C-allele, alongside the rs13384548 GG genotype and G-allele, conferred increased risk for both HCV and HCC. Clinically, these high-risk genotypes correlated with worse liver function (Child-Pugh C), higher MELD/Na scores, and larger tumors. Moreover, sCTLA-4 levels showed a stepwise elevation from controls to HCV to HCC patients, peaking in carriers of the rs231726 TT and rs13384548 GG genotypes. In conclusion, this study identifies rs231726, rs11571317, and rs13384548 as robust genetic markers for HCV-related HCC susceptibility and cancer aggressiveness. Our findings provide novel evidence of their role in immune evasion through sCTLA-4 upregulation, offering new perspectives into genotype-based risk stratification and tailored immunotherapeutic strategies.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, HepatocellularCTLA-4 AntigenHepatitis CLiver NeoplasmsAgedAllelesCase-Control StudiesFemaleGenetic Predisposition to DiseaseGenotypeHepacivirusHumansMaleMiddle AgedPolymorphism, Single NucleotideProtein IsoformsCTLA-4 AntigenCTLA4 protein, humanProtein IsoformsbiomarkerCTLA-4gene polymorphismhepatitis C virushepatocellular carcinomaImmune checkpointrs11571317rs13384548rs231726

Identifiers

PMID41303553
PMCPMC12652774

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.