Conclusion: MPV and MPV/PC ratio are less sensitive and specific than AFP in diagnosis of HCC. So AFP is still the gold standard marker in diagnosis of HCC and MPV and MPV/PC ratio may be used only in association with other markers like AFP to improve sensitivity of tumor detection.

Results: Higher mean levels of FBS, 2 hr (2HPP) and fasting plasma insulin (FSI) were detected in group II (HCV+DM) compared to other groups with statistically significant differences between all the studied groups (P value <0.001), consequently HCV diabetic patients were found to have significant higher IR than HCV patients without DM, diabetic patients alone and control group (P value <0.001). Furthermore, there was highly statistically significant differences between all studied groups as regard level of TNF-α (P value <0.001) with higher mean level in group I (HCV group). Insignificant difference in level of TNF-α in HCV patients with or without IR (P value =0.072). Insignificant positive correlation between HOMA-IR and TNFα (P value = 0.63). Conclusion: Chronic HCV patients have significantly elevated fasting plasma insulin level, TNF-α and significant IR and there was insignificant correlation between HOMA-IR and TNF-α.

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This article has been retracted. Please see the Retraction Notice for more detail: https://doi.org/10.1186/s43166-020-00041-2.

Background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects about 1–3% of the population making it one of the most popular autoimmune diseases. Chemokines through switching on their receptors exert a climacteric role in RA pathogenesis. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to quantify the serum levels of serum B lymphocyte chemoattractant protein13 (CXCL13) chemokine in recent onset RA patients and to correlate its levels with clinical, laboratory, and musculoskeletal ultrasonographic parameters (MSUS) of disease activity and severity. Results The mean serum CXCL13 value showed a significant increase in the RA patients (388.86 ± 283.63 pg/ml) than in the controls (62.94 ± 31.62 pg/ml) (P < 0.001). Highly active RA patients had significantly the highest mean of CXCL13 (mean ± SD 819.13 ± 191.05) compared with the moderately active RA patients (mean ± SD 284.95 ± 137.93) (P < 0.001) and the RA patients with low disease activity (mean ± SD 129.5 ± 21.27) (P < 0.001) and its levels were positively related with clinical disease activity and musculoskeletal ultrasonographic severity parameters. Conclusion Serum CXCL13 is correlated with clinical disease activity and MSUS disease severity that encourages its use for monitoring the activity and severity of synovitis in recent onset RA patients. Future studies to detect the effect of disease activity control by medications on CXCL13 levels and the effect of the CXCL13 antagonist on controlling RA disease activity and severity are recommended.