Hepatitis C Virus Infection Is Positively Associated with Gallstones in Liver Cirrhosis.
To elucidate the prevalence and risk factors of gallstone disease (GD) among patients with liver disease and explore their association with the aetiology and severity of hepatic injury.



We analysed 4,832 subjects of hepatic injury induced by one of the following aetiologies: hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, excessive alcohol consumption. The risk factors significantly associated with GD were analysed using stepwise logistic regression analysis, the influence of aetiology and severity of liver disease on the prevalence of GD were assessed by multiple logistic regression analysis adjusting for confounding factors.



Three thousand forty eight patients were of positive HBV surface antigen alone with a prevalence of GD of 18.6%, 526 were tested as positive Anti-HCV alone with a prevalence of GD of 22.4%, and 1,258 were identified with excessive alcohol consumption patterns with a prevalence of GD of 13.5%. In each aetiological category, the prevalence of GD increased by age.  Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that age, female, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol
(LDL-Cho), family history of GD, HBV infection, HCV infection, chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis were independent factors associated with GD. After adjusting for age, LDL-Cho and family history of GD, the prevalence of gallstone disease was significantly associated with HCV-related cirrhosis in both genders, HBV-related cirrhosis in males and alcohol-related cirrhosis in females compared with patients with less severe liver disease [corrected].
After adjusting for gender, age, LDL-Cho and family history of GD, patients with HCV-related cirrhosis (OR 2.66, 95% CI 1.49-3.84) but not HBV-related cirrhosis (OR 1.52, 95% CI 0.73-1.82) were more likely to have GD compared with alcohol-related cirrhosis.



HCV infection is positively associated with gallstone formation especially in those with cirrhosis patients.
Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
Fen-Ming
FM
Zhang
Li-Hua
LH
Chen
Hong-Tan
HT
Chen
Guo-Dong
GD
Shan
Feng-Ling
FL
Hu
Ming
M
Yang
Wen-Guo
WG
Chen
Guo-Qiang
GQ
Xu
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D042882:Gallstones / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors
D008078:Cholesterol, LDL