title: Are other factors besides albuminuria important for the progression of HCV chronic hepatitis towards CKD? A survey from a hepatology department in western Romania.
abstract: HCV is an important cause of renal disease. Taal and Brenner have identified risk factors for CKD and have suggested that these risk factors be incorporated into a renal risk score analogous to the Framingham cardiovascular score. Given the high HCV-renal disease comorbidity, we sought to assess risk factors for CKD in patients with HCV chronic hepatitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred-seventeen patients with HCV chronic hepatitis (mean age: 50.68 +/- 9.14 years; 86 female and 31 male) hospitalized in the Department of Hepatology during 2009 were enrolled into the study. All patients were assessed for the risk factors for CKD proposed by Taal and Brenner: albuminuria, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity, anemia, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, nephrotoxins, primary renal disease, associated urological disorder, cardiovascular disease and family history of CKD. Renal function (GFR-CKD-Epi) was also evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pearson's correlation coefficient and Odds Ratio (OR) was performed using SPSS17 and Epi 3.2.2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of albuminuria was 21.36%, of hypertension was 20.51%, of obesity was 21.36%, and hypercholesterolemia was present in 41.02% of the cases. Renal function was as follows: 10.25% (12/117) of the patients had a GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 sqm.; 64.95% (76/117) of the patients had a GFR between 60-89 mL/min/1.73 sqm.; and 24.78% (29/117) had a GFR > or = 90 mL/min/1.73 sqm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study shows that HCV chronic hepatitis is associated with renal function impairment in a high percentage of patients. Prominent risk factors for CKD are present in these patients, such as albuminuria, hypertension, obesity, and hypercholesterolemia, which need to be actively searched and addressed therapeutically.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gluhovschi
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sporea
authors.forename: Florica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gădălean
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaycsa
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Curescu
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Velciov
authors.forename: Ligia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Petrica
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bălgrădean
authors.forename: Corina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vernic
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gluhovschi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000652:urine / Q000821:virology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012383:Romania