Hepatic iron, serum ferritin, HFE mutation, and hepatic fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C.
OBJECTIVE
We studied the status of hepatic iron deposition and its relationship with blood iron indices, liver histology, and HFE gene mutations in Korean patients with chronic hepatitis C (CH-C).


METHODS
105 patients with CH-C who underwent pretreatment liver biopsy were consecutively enrolled. The hepatic iron deposition, histological activity and fibrosis were assessed by appropriate pathological scoring systems, clinical data including serum iron indices, and HFE gene mutation.


RESULTS
Hepatic iron deposition was found in 37 patients (35%), which was not significantly associated with degree of hepatic fibrosis or steatosis. The serum ferritin level was elevated in 27% of the patients and was an independent factor associated with hepatic iron deposition by logistic regression; however, it was not significantly associated with hepatic fibrosis either. Only H63D heterozygote was found in 6 out of 48 patients (12.5%), which was not different from the prevalence of H63D mutation in the Korean population (8.5%).


CONCLUSIONS
Hepatic iron deposition was uncommon and mild in Korean CH-C. Neither hepatic iron deposition nor serum ferritin were significantly related to the severity of hepatic fibrosis, which does not support the significant role of iron in the progression of hepatic fibrosis.
Won
Ji-Eon
JE
Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea.
Jeong
Sook-Hyang
SH
Chung
Jae Il
JI
Lee
Ji Hye
JH
Hwang
Sung Ho
SH
Kim
Jin-Wook
JW
Lee
Sang Hyub
SH
Kim
Nayoung
N
Park
Young Soo
YS
Lee
Dong Ho
DH
Kim
Haeryoung
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D000071020:Hemochromatosis Protein; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis*; D007723:Korea; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020125:Mutation, Missense; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
C103673:HFE protein, human; D000071020:Hemochromatosis Protein; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron