Correlation of hepatic steatosis with body mass index, serum ferritin level and hepatic fibrosis in Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis C.
OBJECTIVE
The present study was aimed at determining the predictors of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis in Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis C.


METHODS
The relationship between the degrees of hepatic steatosis or fibrosis and several clinical parameters was evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses.


RESULTS
Steatosis was observed in 117 out of 184 patients (64%), including 45 patients (25%) with grade 1 (<10% of hepatocytes affected), 56 patients (30%) with grade 2 (10-30%), 12 patients (7%) with grade 3 (30-50%), and four patients (2%) with grade 4 (>50%). In the multivariate analysis, body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.0038) and serum ferritin (P < 0.0001) were selected as independent predictors of hepatic steatosis. Six of the 184 patients (3%) had stage 0 fibrosis (no fibrosis), 87 patients (47%) had stage 1, 55 patients (30%) had stage 2 and 36 patients (20%) had stage 3. In the multivariate analysis, platelet count (P = 0.0012), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (P = 0.0219), hyaluronic acid (P < 0.0001) and the grade of steatosis (P = 0.0008) were selected as independent predictors of hepatic fibrosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Obesity and iron storage, as evaluated by BMI and serum ferritin level, respectively, have important roles in the pathogenesis of hepatic steatosis, which is a factor responsible for the development of hepatic fibrosis in Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis C.
Sumida
Yoshio
Y
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Nara City Hospital, Nara, Japan.
Kanemasa
Kazuyuki
K
Fukumoto
Kohei
K
Yoshida
Naohisa
N
Sakai
Kyoko
K