HCV liver infection and liver steatosis: evidence for indirect mechanisms in genotype 3?
BACKGROUND
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with the appearance of liver steatosis.


OBJECTIVE
To search for a correlation between the number of HCV infected hepatocytes and the presence, amount and distribution of steatosis.


METHODS
A total of 124 frozen liver biopsies from HCV patients (genotype 3 = 21) were studied. HCV-antigens were detected on frozen liver sections using a four steps immunoperoxidase technique. Steatosis was graded by haematoxilin-eosin counterstaining on a serial section.


RESULTS
Steatosis was detected in 82 of 124 (66.1%) patients without differences between different genotypes. Uric acid, body mass index, gammaGT levels significantly correlated with steatosis in non-3 (P < 0.01, P < 0.05, P < 0.01, respectively) but not in genotype 3 patients. HCV-antigens were detected in 95 of 124 (76.6%) cases. A positive correlation between steatosis and the number of infected hepatocytes was observed only in genotype 3 patients (P = 0.06). In most cases the number of cells with steatosis greatly outnumbered that of HCV infected cells.


CONCLUSIONS
We confirm a possible role of the virus in the genesis of steatosis in HCV genotype 3 infected patients; however, as steatosis do not appear to be directly related to the presence of HCV-antigens within single hepatocytes, an indirect, possibly cytokine mediated, mechanism might be operative.
Grassi
A
A
Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Cardioangiologia, Epatologia, Università di Bologna, Italy.
Ballardini
G
G
Susca
M
M
Bianchini
F
F
Bonoli
S
S
Bianchi
F B
FB
Lenzi
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002452:Cell Count; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D000956:Antigens, Viral