title: Prevalence of hepatic steatosis and associated factors in Iranian patients with chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatic steatosis is commonly observed in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Many studies indicate a relationship between steatosis and fibrosis progression. The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence of hepatic steatosis and related factors in Iranian CHC patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and fifteen consecutive patients with CHC were enrolled which were treatment- naïve. The patients were divided into groups with and without steatosis according to the result of liver biopsy (58.3% and 41.7%, respectively). Demographic, histological, biochemical and virological factors were examined and compared in all patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In terms of host factors, body mass index (BMI), triglyceride, fasting blood glucose (FBG), necroinflammatory activity and severity in fibrosis of CHC patients with steatosis was significantly higher than the patients without steatosis. Of viral factors, HCV viral load was not significantly altered in patients with steatosis. Moreover, HCV genotypes did not meet such association. Using multivariate regression analysis, parameters of BMI values, FBG level and stage of fibrosis were independently associated with steatosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data indicate that CHC patients are more susceptible to development of hepatic steatosis. Based on our results, grade of steatosis appears to be associated with hepatic fibrosis progression rate in CHC patients.
authors.affiliation: PhD Candidate, Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. poortahmasebi@razi.tums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Vahdat
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Poortahmasebi
authors.affiliation: PhD Candidate, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran. sajad.emami@modares.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Mohammad Sajad
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Emami Aleagha
authors.affiliation: Research Assistant, Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada. Mamiri@uwo.ca.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amiri
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran & Non-Communicable Disease Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. mqorbani1379@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Qorbani
authors.affiliation: MSc, Virology Department, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. m_farahmand@razi.tums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farahmand
authors.affiliation: Instructor, Department of Medical Emergencies, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran. asayeshpsy@gmail.com .
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Asayesh
authors.affiliation: Professor of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Middle East Liver Diseases (MELD) Center, Tehran, Iran. alavian@thc.ir.
authors.forename: Seyed Moayed
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Alavian
keywords: Chronic hepatitis C; Fibrosis; Necroinflammatory activity; Steatosis