Steatosis and hepatitis C in an Alaska Native/American Indian population

To determine the prevalence and characteristics of steatosis in Alaska Natives/American Indians (AN/AI) with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

This outcomes study began in 1994, and 988 AN/AI have been enrolled, including 222 study patients with a positive HCV RNA who underwent liver biopsy.

Study patients were analyzed for sex, age at biopsy, estimated length of infection, body mass index (BMI), genotype, ethanol use, HCV RNA and alanine aminotransferase levels. A pathologist blinded to patient identity and clinical data reviewed all biopsy slides for histologic activity and fibrosis.

Moderate to severe steatosis was found significantly more often in genotype 3 than in genotypes 1 and 2 (p = 0.008). On multivariate analysis, BMI > 30 and Ishak fibrosis score > or = 2 were significantly associated with steatosis (p = 0.0013 and 0.0002, respectively), but only genotype 3 was associated with presence of moderate to severe steatosis (p = 0.008).

Our findings in a cohort of AN/AI are consistent with results of previous studies in other groups that steatosis is associated with fibrosis in HCV and infection with genotype 3 is associated with more severe steatosis.