Body mass index (BMI) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level correlate with the severity of HCV-induced fibrosis in a cohort of Egyptian patients with chronic HCV

Abstract

Background Viral hepatitis is the seventh leading cause of mortality globally, and half of this mortality is attributed to hepatitis C virus (HCV). Egypt has the highest HCV prevalence worldwide, with an estimated 14.7% of the population being HCV-positive. HCV infection is the primary cause of liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Liver fibrosis varies in severity during chronic HCV infection, and 10–20% of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients with severe fibrosis develop cirrhosis. The goal of this work was to assess the clinico-demographic predictors of severity of HCV-induced fibrosis in a cohort of Egyptian patients. Results A cohort of Egyptian patients with chronic HCV genotype 4a infection showed significant association between severe fibrosis stages and obesity, represented by a higher body mass index (BMI), low albumin level, high alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level, low thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level, and high alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level. Multivariate analysis delineated BMI, TSH, and ALP as independent significant variables that could predict the risk of fibrosis severity in HCV infections. Conclusion This study argues in favor of using the biomarker profile of CHC patients infected with HCV genotype 4a to identify patients at higher risk of developing severe fibrosis, which is a necessary first step towards precision medicine via patient stratification.

Prognostic factors in patients with hematological malignancies and concomitant chronic hepatitis C

“…К известным факторам, оказывающим негативное влияние на течение ХГС, относят избыточную массу тела и ожирение [10,11]. Из 96 пациентов у 31,3% (n=30) отмечена избыточная масса тела и ожирение (индекс массы тела -ИМТ соответственно 25,1-30,0 и >30,1 кг/м 2 ), при этом у 20 (20,8%) больных выявлена недостаточная масса тела (ИМТ<18,5 кг/м 2 Для построения финальной модели логистической регрессии мы использовали тот набор факторов, при котором значение информационного критерия Акаике (AIC) является минимальным.…”

Impact of IL10, MTP, SOD2, and APOE Gene Polymorphisms on the Severity of Liver Fibrosis Induced by HCV Genotype 4

“…The provided demographic and clinical data included age, gender, Albumin, alphafetoprotein (AFP), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, glucose level, hemoglobin (Hb), creatinine, platelet count, white blood cell (WBC) count (Supplementary Tables S1 and S2) [21].…”

“…The following are available online at https://www.mdpi.com/article/10 .3390/v13040714/s1, Table S1: Patients' demographic data [21]; Table S2: Patients' clinical data [21].…”