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Hepatitis C virus infection and risk of gallstones: A meta-analysis

Karn Wijarnpreecha1, Charat Thongprayoon1, Panadeekarn Panjawatanan2

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Bassett Medical Center, Cooperstown, NY, USA.

Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine
|December 2, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection significantly increases gallstone risk. This meta-analysis confirms a higher prevalence of gallstones in HCV-infected individuals, highlighting a need for clinical attention to this association.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Gallstones are common hepatobiliary diseases.
  • Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection may be linked to increased gallstone risk, but evidence is inconclusive.
  • This meta-analysis synthesizes existing data on the HCV-gallstone relationship.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantitatively assess the association between hepatitis C virus infection and gallstone risk.
  • To summarize the available epidemiological evidence on this relationship.

Main Methods:

  • A comprehensive literature search was conducted in MEDLINE and EMBASE databases up to May 2016.
  • Included studies reported risk estimates (RR, OR, HR) comparing gallstone risk in HCV-infected vs. non-infected subjects.
  • Pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using random-effects modeling.

Main Results:

  • Eleven studies were included in the meta-analysis.
  • HCV-infected patients showed a significantly increased risk of gallstones (pooled OR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.35-2.48).
  • Subgroup analyses revealed increased risk in both males (OR = 2.07) and females (OR = 3.00).

Conclusions:

  • Hepatitis C virus infection is associated with a significantly elevated risk of gallstones.
  • Further research is needed to understand the clinical implications and management of gallstones in HCV-infected patients.
Abstract

Keywords:
CholelithiasisHepatitis C virusgallbladder stonesgallstonesmeta-analysis

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