Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with HCV genotype 4

• Published in: Gut Vol. 56; no. 8; pp. 1170 - 1171
• Main Authors: El-Zayadi, A, Attia, M, Barakat, E M F, Zalata, K, Saeid, A, Hamdy, H, El-Nakeeb, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Society of Gastroenterology 01.08.2007; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; BMJ Group
• Subjects: Diabetes; Egypt - epidemiology; Fatty Liver - epidemiology; Genotype; Genotype & phenotype; Hepacivirus - genetics; Hepatitis; Hepatitis C, Chronic - genetics; Histology; Humans; Immunohistochemistry - methods; Infections; Letters; Liver cirrhosis; Liver diseases; Multivariate analysis; Obesity; Egypt
• ISSN: 0017-5749; 1468-3288
• DOI: 10.1136/gut.2007.123331

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 4 is the predominant genotype in the Middle East including Egypt. 1 A striking feature of HCV infection is its association with fat accumulation within hepatocytes, 2 which is defined by the presence of hepatic steatosis with or without steatohepatitis. 3 Hepatic steatosis has been reported in 30-70% of patients with HCV infection, even when the most common causes of steatosis are excluded. 4 A causal relationship between infection with HCV genotype 3 and the incidence of hepatic steatosis has been elicited. 5 In Egypt the true prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is unknown among patients with HCV who are commonly infected with genotype 4. Table 1 Pathological features of the two study groups Parameter Chronic hepatitis C(group 1)(n = 124) Non-C chronic liver disease (group 2)(n = 48) p Value Steatosis 50 (40.3%) 16 (33.3%) 0.550 Mild 36 (29.0%) 8 (16.7%) Moderate 10 (8.1%) 6 (12.5%) Severe 4 (3.2%) 2 (4.2%) Steatohepatitis 7 (5.7%) 1 (2.1%) 0.445 Modified HAI[dagger] 6.7 (2.7), 0-13 4.8 (3.4), 0-13 0.010* Fibrosis score[dagger] 3.3 (1.9), 0-6 1.8 (1.7), 0-6 0.002* Haemosiderosis 4 (3.2%) 0 (0.0%) 0.487 HAI, Histology Activity Index. *Significant difference. [dagger]Values are mean (SD), range.