Steatosis is a determinant of fibrosis progression in chronic hepatitis C and is correlated both with body composition and viral factors

The knowledge of factors which induced progression of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is of pr ima~ importance for cfinical, prognostic and therapeutic implications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of steatosis in the progression of liver fibrosis. 180 (median age, 49 yrs) consecutive untreated patients with biopsy-proven CHC and stable weight were enrolled. Excluded were patients with diabetes, dydipidemie, alcohol intake >30 g/d, genetic or antoimmune hepatic diseases, or HBV or HIV. Patients were evaluated for histological grading, staging, grading of steatosis (0-4) and hepatic ken, HCV genotype (InnoLipa), levels of viremia CoDNA), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference. O v e r ~ prevalence of steatosis was 41%. HCV genotypes were not correlated with fibrosis. Steatosis was more frequent in patients with genotype 3a (p 40% showed a higher HAI (6.2 vs 5.0; p<0.01), levels of yGT (p<0.0001) and ALT values (p<0.01). In conclusion our study indicates that steatosis is a determinant of fibrosis progression in CHC. Visceral obesity plays a role in the development of steatosis. HCV type 3a seems to have s direct effect on steatogenesis. (Supported by MURST). l P/C06/47 l