الفهرس 
Hepatocellular CarcinomaOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers in the world and is the most common primary malignant tumor affecting the liver. Its occurrence is always linked to cirrhosis, chronic infection with hepatitis B and C.
Tumor markers are potential screening tools that are widely used for early diagnosis of tumors. The aim of Ideal tumor marker estimation in HCC is early detection (surveillance), particularly in the higher risk groups.
While AFP is a commonly used tumor marker in the detection of HCC, about 35-40% of HCC patients may have normal AFP. In addition, AFP may be elevated in non-malignant liver diseases, so, AFP is still not a reliable indicator for detection of HCC particularly with small and early HCC.
Dickkopf1 (DKK1), a secreted protein involved in head formation in embryonic development, binds to the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-5/6 (LRP5/6) Wnt co-receptor and prevents the formation of active Wnt-Frizzled-LRP5/6 receptor complexes, thus blocking the canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.
Elevated expression of DKK1 was found in both tissue and serum samples from patients with HCC.
Moreover, overexpression of DKK1 not only enhances the tumor formation efficiency and tumor growth but also promotes the cell invasion and metastasis in vitro and in vivo, whereas knockdown of DKK1 significantly reduced both migratory and invasive abilities of HCC.