title: Association of caffeine intake and liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Caffeine consumption has been associated to decreased levels of liver enzymes and lower risk of fibrosis in patients with hepatitis C virus. Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the association between caffeine consumption and inflammatory activity or degree of liver fibrosis in patients with hepatitis C virus infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection treated in an outpatient Gastroenterology Unit of Santa Casa Hospital (Porto Alegre - Brasil). Patients were interviewed regarding the consumption of caffeine and anthropometric assessment was performed. Liver biopsy was performed in a maximum period of 36 months before inclusion in the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 113 patients, 67 (59.3%) females, 48 (42.5%) were aged between 52 and 62 years, and 101 (89.4%) were white. The average caffeine consumption was 251.41 ± 232.32 mg/day, and 70 (62%) patients consumed up to 250 mg/day of caffeine. There was no association between caffeine consumption and inflammatory activity on liver biopsy. On the other hand, when evaluating the caffeine consumption liver fibrosis an inverse association was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The greater consumption of caffeine was associated with lower liver fibrosis. There was no association between caffeine consumption and inflammatory activity.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina - Departamento de Hepatologia, UFCSPA, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Kalinca da Silva
authors.initials: Kda S
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Nutrição, UFCSPA, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buss
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina - Departamento de Hepatologia, UFCSPA, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Cristiane Valle
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Tovo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D002110:Caffeine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D002110:Caffeine