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Updated: Aug 22, 2026

In Vitro Modeling of Fat Deposition in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease
Published on: July 19, 2024
Effect of interferon therapy on fatty acid saturation index in hepatitis C virus infection
M T Abdel Aziz1, Y Abdel-Ghaffar, H H Fouad
1Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cairo, Cairo, Egypt.
Abstract:
The ratio of stearic to oleic acids, i.e. the fatty acid saturation index, in red blood cell membranes was assayed in 60 patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection before and after interferon-alpha therapy. Results were compared with 20 healthy controls. Hepatitis C virus titre was also assayed before and after interferon-alpha therapy. Within 2-5 months following interferon-alpha therapy, a significant inverse correlation was observed between saturation index and hepatitis C virus load. We conclude that hepatitis C virus infection enhances the degree of desaturation of 18-carbon fatty acids and that interferon-alpha is involved in their metabolism by increasing the degree of saturation and subsequent decrease in membrane fluidity.
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