[Association of hyperhomocysteinemia with liver steatosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C].
OBJECTIVE
Liver steatosis in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is related to viral and metabolic factors and likely to genetic factors. The aim of this study was to know if hyperhomocysteinemia and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR)-C677T polymorphisms are associated with liver steatosis in nonalcoholic patients with CHC.


METHODS
In 54 consecutive patients with CHC, alcohol consumption less than 40g/week, and no other causes of liver disease, a liver biopsy was performed. All variables were obtained at the time of biopsy. MTHFR-C677T was also performed in 128 healthy subjects, with age and gender similar to the patients.


RESULTS
Liver steatosis was found in 33 patients (61%), 30 of them having a mild degree. Hyperhomocysteinemia was more prevalent in patients with steatosis (61% vs 24%; p=0.008) and overweight tended to be more prevalent in the same patients (61% vs 33%; p=0.05). All patients with virus C genotype 3 had steatosis. Viral load, liver inflammatory and fibrosis score were not different in patients with and without steatosis. MTHFR-C677T polymorphism was similar in controls and cases and in cases with and without steatosis. A multiple logistic regression showed that hyperhomocysteinemia was associated with liver steatosis after adjustment for age and sex (OR: 3.94; 95% CI: 1.09-14.29), and adjustment for overweight (OR: 4.43; 95% CI: 1.27-15.51).


CONCLUSIONS
In nonalcoholic patients with CHC mild liver steatosis is frequent, and is associated with hyperhomocysteinemia. An association between steatosis and MTHFR-C677T polymorphism was not found.
Unidad de Lípidos y Aterosclerosis, Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, España. cf-miranda@hotmail.com
Consuelo
C
Fernández-Miranda
María Luisa
ML
Manzano
Inmaculada
I
Fernández
Guadalupe
G
López-Alonso
Pilar
P
Gómez
Rosa
R
Ayala
David
D
Lora
Gregorio
G
Castellano
D000328:Adult; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D020138:Hyperhomocysteinemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) / Q000235:genetics*; D009154:Mutation; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)