ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the frequency and severity of fibrosis, and also the association of various viral and host factors of steatosis in Iranian patients with hepatitis C (CHC). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Eighty treatment-naive CHC patients, age 37.6 +/- 11.77 years, were studied. Percutaneous liver biopsy was performed for all patients. Based on pathology reports, patients were divided into two groups: with and without significant steatosis. Hepatitis C virus RNA (HCV-RNA), various viral and host factors, and biochemical findings and genotyping of HCV were compared in the two groups. RESULTS: Of the 80 patients, 42 (52.5%) had pathologic evidence of significant steatosis. The mean serum level of cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase as well as the mean body mass index, viral load, stage of fibrosis and frequency of genotype 3 were significantly higher in the patients with than those without steatosis (p < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, only genotype 3 and viral load had significant association with steatosis. In patients with genotype 3 infection, the mean viral load in those with and without steatosis was 1,623,357 +/- 833,543.46 and 821,262.1 +/- 924,480 copies/ml, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.009). The mean viral load in patients with genotype 1 infection was not significantly different between the two groups. The mean stage of fibrosis was higher in the group that had significant steatosis (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Steatosis is a common finding in Iranian patients with CHC. Infection with HCV genotype 3 and high viral load in these patients are associated with significant steatosis.
