title: Etiology of liver cirrhosis in Mexico.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the last decades it has been suggested that the main cause of liver cirrhosis in Mexico is alcohol. Currently in Western countries hepatitis C virus stage liver disease and liver transplantation. In Mexico, we have no data relative to the etiology of liver cirrhosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the main causes of liver cirrhosis in Mexico.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight hospitals located in different areas of the country were invited to participate in this study. Those hospitals provide health care to different social classes of the country. The inclusion criteria were the presence of either an histological or a clinical and biochemical diagnosis of liver cirrhosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total 1,486 cases were included in this study. The etiology of liver cirrhosis was alcohol in 587 (39.5%), HCV 544 (36.6%), cryptogenic 154 (10.4%), PBC 84 (5.7%), HBV 75 (5.0%) and other 42 (2.8%). There was no statistical difference between alcohol and HCV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that the main causes of liver cirrhosis in Mexico are alcohol and HCV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Research, Medica Sur Clinic and Foundation, Col. Toriello Guerra, Mexico City, Mexico. nmendez@medicasur.org.mx
authors.forename: Nahum
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Méndez-Sánchez
authors.forename: Juan R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Aguilar-Ramírez
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reyes
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dehesa
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Juórez
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Castñeda
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Avila
authors.forename: Jorge L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Poo
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guevara González
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lizardi
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Valdovinos
authors.forename: Misael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uribe
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Contreras
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tirado
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aguirre
authors.forename: Cesar
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rivera-Benítez
authors.forename: Ramón
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Santiago-Santiago
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bosques-Padilla
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.forename: Arnoldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guerroro
authors.forename: Mayra
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: Heriberto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Hernández
authors.forename: Jannett
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jacobo-Karam
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies