A STUDY OF LIPID PROFILE AND HEPATIC STEATOSIS IN CHRONIC HEPATITIS C VIRUS INFECTED EGYPTIAN PATIENTS

Background: The prevalence of steatosis in hepatitis C varies between 40% and 80%. Genotype 4 is the predominant genotype in Egypt. Aim: is to study serum lipids and its relation to hepatic steatosis in chronic HCV infected Egyptian patients. Patients and methods: One hundred and twenty subjects were divided into 2 groups. Group 1: 60 patients with chronic hepatitis C intended to receive antiviral therapy. Group 2: 60 normal controls. Lipid profile together with hepatic profile, abdominal ultrasound, BMI measurements were done to patients of both groups. Quantitative HCVRNA by PCR and liver biopsy with determination of grade of inflammatio n, stage of fibrosis and degree of hepatic steatosis were done to group 1 patients. Results: No significant difference was found between both groups regarding serum lipid profile. 62 % of patients of group 1 had steatosis of mild degree which significantly correlated with the BMI. Patients with steatosis showed significant higher levels of total cholesterol. There was significant correlation between serum triglycerides and hepatic fibrosis, between LDL and HCVRNA by PCR and between Cholesterol/HDL ratio and AFP. Conclusion: steatosis was found in 62 % of patients of the current study which correlated with BMI. There was correlation between LDL and viral load