Hepatic steatosis in Iranian patients with chronic hepatitis C.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the frequency and severity of fibrosis, and also the association of various viral and host factors of steatosis in Iranian patients with hepatitis C (CHC).


METHODS
Eighty treatment-naive CHC patients, age 37.6 +/- 11.77 years, were studied. Percutaneous liver biopsy was performed for all patients. Based on pathology reports, patients were divided into two groups: with and without significant steatosis. Hepatitis C virus RNA (HCV-RNA), various viral and host factors, and biochemical findings and genotyping of HCV were compared in the two groups.


RESULTS
Of the 80 patients, 42 (52.5%) had pathologic evidence of significant steatosis. The mean serum level of cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase as well as the mean body mass index, viral load, stage of fibrosis and frequency of genotype 3 were significantly higher in the patients with than those without steatosis (p < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, only genotype 3 and viral load had significant association with steatosis. In patients with genotype 3 infection, the mean viral load in those with and without steatosis was 1,623,357 +/- 833,543.46 and 821,262.1 +/- 924,480 copies/ml, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.009). The mean viral load in patients with genotype 1 infection was not significantly different between the two groups. The mean stage of fibrosis was higher in the group that had significant steatosis (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Steatosis is a common finding in Iranian patients with CHC. Infection with HCV genotype 3 and high viral load in these patients are associated with significant steatosis.
Minakari
Mohammad
M
Department of Gastroenterology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. mmminakari@yahoo.com
Sameni
Farzaneh Khadem
FK
Shalmani
Hamid Mohaghegh
HM
Molaee
Mahsa
M
Zali
Mohammad-Reza
MR
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D019562:Viral Load