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Updated: May 29, 2026
Lipid Droplet Isolation for Quantitative Mass Spectrometry Analysis
Published on: April 17, 2017
Lipid Profiles and Hepatitis C Viral Markers in HCV-Infected Thalassemic Patients
Seyed-Moayed Alavian1, Seyyed Mohammad Miri, Seyed-Vahid Tabatabaei
1Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Baqiyatallah Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Disease, Tehran, Iran.
Insights
In thalassemic patients with chronic hepatitis C, serum lipids were mostly normal. However, triglycerides, total cholesterol, and ferritin were linked to glucose issues, not liver factors.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Hematology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is common in polytransfused thalassemic patients.
- The interplay between HCV, thalassemia, and metabolic parameters like lipids and glucose is not well understood.
- Investigating these determinants is crucial for managing co-infected patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between liver histology, viral markers, and serum lipid profiles in thalassemic patients with chronic HCV.
- To identify risk factors for dyslipidemia and glucose intolerance in this specific patient cohort.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 280 polytransfused thalassemic patients with chronic HCV was studied.
- Serum lipids, glucose, ferritin, and liver enzymes were measured.
- Liver fibrosis, necroinflammation, and hepatic siderosis were assessed histologically.
Main Results:
- Most patients exhibited normal total cholesterol and triglyceride levels, though HDL-C and glucose were low and high, respectively.
- No significant association was found between viral markers, liver histology, or aminotransferase activity and serum lipid levels.
- Serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, and ferritin independently predicted impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes.
Conclusions:
- Serum lipid levels, except for HDL-C, were generally within normal ranges in this population.
- HCV viral load and liver disease severity did not significantly influence lipid or glucose levels.
- Elevated triglycerides, total cholesterol, and ferritin are key risk factors for glucose metabolism disturbances in thalassemic patients with HCV.
Background/Aims:
The distribution of blood lipids, glucose and their determinants in thalassemic patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has rarely been investigated. Thus, we aimed to investigate the relationship between both liver histologic findings and viral markers and serum lipids in thalassemic patients chronically infected with HCV.
Methods:
We enrolled 280 polytransfused thalassemic patients with chronic hepatitis C. HCV viral load was determined using the Amplicor test. Genotyping was performed using genotype specific primers. Fasting serum lipid, glucose, ferritin and liver function enzyme concentrations were measured. A modified Knodell scoring system was used to stage liver fibrosis and to grade necroinflammatory activity. Perls' staining was used to assess hepatic siderosis.
Results:
Just one subject had total cholesterol >200 mg/dL, and 7% had triglycerides >150 mg/dL. The mean high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and glucose levels were 37 and 104 (97-111) mg/dL, respectively. Viral markers, liver histological findings and aminotransferase activity were not associated with serum lipid levels. Serum triglycerides, total cholesterol and ferritin were independent risk factors for impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes in these patients.
Conclusions:
The majority of the patients had blood lipid levels (with the exception of HDL) within the defined normal range; viral and liver histological factors do not appear to play a significant role in changing the levels of serum lipids or glucose in these patients.
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