Liver HCV-antigens and steatosis in chronic hepatitis C: role of different genotypes.
BACKGROUND
HCV infection is frequently associated with liver steatosis.


OBJECTIVE
We studied 126 frozen liver HCV positive specimens (genotype-3=27) without any features of metabolic syndrome, searching for a correlation between the number of HCV infected hepatocytes and the presence, amount and distribution of steatosis in relation to different genotypes.


RESULTS
Mean steatosis score was higher in genotype-3 with respect to non-3 (1.11 vs 0.66, p=0.022). HCV-antigens were detected by an immunoperoxidase technique in 91/126 (72.2%) cases. A significant correlation between the number of HCV-antigen positive cells and the degree of liver steatosis was observed in genotype-3 (p=0.01) but not in non-3 patients, matched for sex and age. Steatotic cells usually outnumbered HCV-infected cells. Steatosis was observed both in HCV-antigen positive and negative hepatocytes, and HCV-antigens were detected in both hepatocytes with and without steatosis: while no lobular codistribution was found in genotype non-3, in genotype-3 steatosis and HCV-antigens were usually found in the same areas.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data support the role of HCV-antigen liver expression in the pathogenesis of steatosis in genotype-3, however, since the presence of HCV-antigens is not directly related to steatosis within single hepatocytes, an indirect mechanism might be operative too.
Grassi
A
A
Department of Endocrinology, Infermi Hospital, Rimini, Italy. albgrassi@yahoo.com
Cipriano
V
V
Quarneti
C
C
Bianchini
F
F
Susca
M
M
Zauli
D
D
Lenzi
M
M
Bianchi
G
G
Bianchi
F B
FB
Ballardini
G
G
D000328:Adult; D015897:Comorbidity; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens