Factors associated with steatosis in liver biopsies of individuals with chronic hepatitis C infection in southern Brazil

Background and study aimsInfection by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is associated with various metabolic disorders that are collectively referred to as dysmetabolic syndrome associated with HCV. Hepatic steatosis is a common finding in chronic HCV infection and has been reported in 30–70% of patients. Here, we determine the prevalence of steatosis in patients with HCV, identify the characteristics associated with the presence of steatosis in liver biopsies and assess the association between steatosis and the severity of liver disease.Patients and methodsThis analytic cross-sectional study evaluated HCV carriers (adults) at the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Outpatient Clinic of a public university hospital between July 2013 and June 2014 using retrospective data collection. The patients were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of steatosis in their liver biopsies. The groups were compared for the presence of risk factors for steatosis and clinical, laboratory, virological and histological characteristics.ResultsOne hundred and four patients aged 49.5 ± 9.3 years were included in the study; 56.0% of the patients were men. Steatosis was observed in 65.4% of the liver biopsies. When comparing individuals with and without steatosis, patients with steatosis exhibited a higher proportion of non-1 genotype (43.9 vs. 20.7%; p = 0.034), higher median triglyceride levels (101.0 vs. 75.0; p = 0.034), ferritin levels (333.0 vs. 193.5; p = 0.025) and gamma glutamyl transferase levels (2.92 xULN vs. 1.87; p = 0.030). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that triglyceride levels were independently associated with the presence of steatosis (OR = 1.016; 95% CI 1.002–1.031; p = 0.026).ConclusionsHepatic steatosis was observed in 65.4% of individuals with HCV. We observed that elevated triglyceride levels were associated independently with the presence of hepatic steatosis; we did not demonstrate an association between hepatic steatosis and histological severity.