Steatosis and chronic hepatitis C virus infection.
OBJECTIVE
To asses the presence of steatosis and other histological changes in patients with chronic hepatitis C.


METHODS
Liver biopsy samples were reviewed for presence of steatosis, its degree and other histological changes of hepatitis C including necro-inflammatory score, fibrosis grade and these changes were correlated with liver function tests.


RESULTS
A total of 109 liver biopsy samples were reviewed. Mean age of the patients was 44.46 +/- 13.93 years and 62 (56.8%) were male. Mean necro-inflammatory score was 2.32 +/- 0.95. Mean fibrosis grade was 1.69 +/- 1.12. No Steatosis was found in 42 (38.5%) samples and mild to severe degree of steatosis was found in 67 (61.5%) samples.


CONCLUSIONS
In this study, nearly 62% of liver biopsy samples had some degree of steatosis. Whether this steatosis increases occurrence of severe form of fibrosis or is an associated phenomena with chronic inflammation needs to be further clarified.
Khokhar
N
N
Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Shifa International Hospital and Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad.
Mushtaq
M
M
Mukhtar
A S
AS
Ilahi
F
F
D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D012367:RNA, Viral