Artigo de Periódico
Effect of iron overload on the severity of liver histologic alterations and on the response to interferon and ribavirin therapy of patients with hepatitis C infection
Fecha
2006Autor
Souza, R. M.
Freitas, L. A. R.
Lyra, André Castro
Moraes, C. F.
Braga, Eduardo Lorens
Lyra, Luiz Guilherme Costa
Souza, R. M.
Freitas, L. A. R.
Lyra, André Castro
Moraes, C. F.
Braga, Eduardo Lorens
Lyra, Luiz Guilherme Costa
Institución
Resumen
The objective of the present study was to determine the presence of
hepatic iron overload in patients with chronic HCV infection and to
correlate it with histologic alterations, HCV genotype and response to
therapy. Liver tissue samples from 95 patients with chronic hepatitis
C were divided into two groups: group I, presence of iron overload in
hepatic tissue (Perls’ staining) and group II, no iron overload. Hepatic
iron overload was detected in 30 (31.6%) of 95 patients. Of the 69
patients tested by genotyping, 49 (71.01%) were genotype 1 and 20
(28.99%) genotype non-1. Iron overload was detected in 14 (28.6%)
patients with genotype 1 and in 6 (30%) with genotype non-1 (P =
0.906). There was a significant difference in fibrosis stage between
groups (P = 0.005). In group I (N = 30), one patient had stage F0/F1 of
fibrosis, while in group II (N = 65), 22 (33.8%) patients had minimal
or no fibrosis. Fibrosis stage F2/F3 was observed in 70% of group I
patients compared to 46.2% of group II. Eighty-five patients were
treated with a combination of interferon and ribavirin; 29 of them
(34.1%) had a sustained virologic response and 8 (27.6%) of them had
hepatic iron overload. Iron overload was detected in 18 (32.1%) of the
56 non-responders (P = 0.73). Hepatic iron overload was frequent
among patients with chronic hepatitis C and was associated with a
more severe stage of liver fibrosis. There was no association between
iron overload and HCV genotype and response to interferon and
ribavirin therapy.