Correlation of hepatic steatosis with body mass index, serum ferritin level and hepatic fibrosis in Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis C

Aims: The present study was aimed at determining the predictors of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis in Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis C. Methods: The relationship between the degrees of hepatic steatosis or fibrosis and several clinical parameters was evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Steatosis was observed in 117 out of 184 patients (64%), including 45 patients (25%) with grade 1 (< 10% of hepatocytes affected), 56 patients (30%) with grade 2 (10-30%), 12 patients (7%) with grade 3 (30-50%), and four patients (2%) with grade 4 (> 50%). In the multivariate analysis, body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.0038) and serum ferritin (P < 0.0001) were selected as independent predictors of hepatic steatosis. Six of the 184 patients (3%) had stage 0 fibrosis (no fibrosis), 87 patients (47%) had stage 1, 55 patients (30%) had stage 2 and 36 patients (20%) had stage 3. In the multivariate analysis, platelet count (P = 0.0012), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (P = 0.0219), hyaluronic acid (P < 0.0001) and the grade of steatosis (P = 0.0008) were selected as independent predictors of hepatic fibrosis. Conclusion: Obesity and iron storage, as evaluated by BMI and serum ferritin level, respectively, have important roles in the pathogenesis of hepatic steatosis, which is a factor responsible for the development of hepatic fibrosis in Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis C.