[Steatosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in patients with chronic hepatitis due to hepatitis C virus infection].
BACKGROUND
[corrected] Hepatic steatosis is a common finding in patients with hepatitis C, mainly virus C genotype 3. Steatosis in these cases might be associated with antiviral treatment response and with prognosis of chronic hepatitis.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the presence of steatosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in chronic hepatitis C and its correlation with genotype and hepatic fibrosis.


METHODS
One hundred and twenty patients with chronic hepatitis C were retrospectively evaluated; genotype was done in 102 patients. All specimens were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, picrosirius and perls. Staging of hepatitis C was scored by Brazilian Classification and the diagnosis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases criteria


RESULTS
Steatosis was found in 65 of 120 cases (54.2%); it was mild in 37/65 (56.9%), moderate in 12/65 (18.5%) and severe in 10/65 (15.4%). In relation to fibrosis, 80 of 120 patients had mild fibrosis F0-F2 (66.6%) and 40 (33.3%) had more advanced fibrosis (F3 or F4). Steatosis was associated with genotype 3 (76.7%) in comparison with other genotypes (49,0%). There were no relationship between steatosis and advanced fibrosis F3/F4 (52,5%) or mild fibrosis (54,4%). Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis was diagnosed in 8/120 cases (6.7%) and was significantly associated with hepatitis C virus genotype 3 and with advanced fibrosis (F3 and F4)


CONCLUSIONS
The presence of steatosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in chronic hepatitis C are associated to genotype 3; moreover non-alcoholic steatohepatitis was correlated with more advanced fibrosis.
Coral
Gabriela
G
Serviço de Gastroenterologia Clinica e Cirúrgica, Irmandade Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS. g.coral@terra.com.br
de Mattos
Angelo Alves
AA
de Mattos
Angelo Zambam
AZ
dos Santos
Diogo Edele
DE
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index