Metabolic Profile and the Histological Changes in Patients with Chronic Viral Hepatitis

Crăciun P¹, Oltean G², Georgescu D³, Crăciun Lucia⁴

1 Chronic Haemodialysis Center, Tîrgu Mureș
2 County Emergency Clinical Hospital Tîrgu Mureș, Medical Clinic I
3 County Emergency Clinical Hospital Tîrgu Mureș, Clinic of Gastroenterology I
4 Sighișoara Municipal Hospital, Integrated Specialty Dispensary

Objective: To evaluate the incidence of steatosis and its correlation with lipidic profile changes comparing the patients with HVB to those with HVC.
Material and method: We enrolled a number of 87 patients who were diagnosed with viral hepatitits B and C between 2004–2008 in Medical Clinic I from Tîrgu Mureș, based on positive test results for HBs antigen and HCV antibody, on the presence of HCV-ARN and on histological features. To all patients it was performed hepatic biopsy and we determined cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, ALT and AST blood levels.
Results: Steatosis had a higher incidence in patients with HCV infection. The steatosis is correlated with necroinflammation and fibrosis in patients with HVC. In the case of patients with HVB there was no correlation between the steatosis and the grade of fibrosis. The HVC group yielded lower mean values of cholesterol, triglycerides and glicemia than the HVB group. The values of the aminotransferases were increased in patients with hepatic steatosis in both groups.
Conclusions: Hepatic steatosis appears with a higher incidence in patients with HVC and it is correlated with the necroinflammatory and fibrosis scores. There is no correlation between the steatosis and fibrosis stage in HVB patients. Both in HVB and HVC the steatosis is correlated with high values of serum aminotransferases.