Metabolic profiles in patients with chronic hepatitis C: a case-control study.
BACKGROUND
The clinical implications of metabolic profiles in patients with chronic hepatitis C remain controversial. To study the association of metabolic abnormalities with chronic hepatitis C, we conducted a case-control study with special emphasis on serum lipid pattern, fasting blood glucose, and adiponectin.


METHODS
We enrolled 500 patients with chronic hepatitis C and 536 sex and age-matched controls. Unadjusted and adjusted associations of demographic and metabolic variables were estimated.


RESULTS
Chronic hepatitis C patients had higher alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels, but lower total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels than controls. Stratifying ALT level according to its upper limit of normal, HCV infection was associated with younger age, female gender, and higher TC levels in chronic hepatitis C patients with normal ALT levels, but with lower TC and lower TG levels in those with abnormal ALT levels. By using multiple linear regression analyses for subjects with available adiponectin data, presence of HCV infection was independently associated with higher serum adiponectin levels.


CONCLUSIONS
Metabolic profiles of chronic hepatitis C patients are affected by age, gender, serum adiponectin, and ALT levels. Further longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the complex interplay between HCV infection and metabolic profiles.
Hsu
Ching-Sheng
CS
Division of Gastroenterology, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Taipei Branch, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC, d94421001@ntu.edu.tw.
Liu
Chun-Jen
CJ
Liu
Chen-Hua
CH
Chen
Chi-Ling
CL
Lai
Ming-Yang
MY
Chen
Pei-Jer
PJ
Chen
Ding-Shinn
DS
Kao
Jia-Horng
JH