FREQUENCY OF NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE IN NEWLY DIAGNOSED CASES OF HEPATITIS C VIRUS INFECTION AND ITS CORRELATION WITH GENOTYPES IN NORMAL WEIGHT PATIENTS

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in newly diagnosed cases of
hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and its association with genotypes in normal weight patients.
Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: Departments of internal medicine and diagnostic imaging, Combined Military
Hospital Okara, from Oct 2013 to Mar 2014.
Material and Methods: We included 211 patients from Okara through consecutive sampling who were found
positive for anti HCV antibodies and HCV RNA after informed consent. The sampled patients were evaluated for
liver echotexture through ultrasonography and genotype analysis by polymerase chain reaction. Variables were
defined qualitatively and quantitatively and frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations were
calculated. For the association of ultrasonographic findings with the genotypes, Pearson’s Chi-square or Fischer’s
exact tests were applied where appropriate. All the data were analyzed using statistical package for social
sciences version 20. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant.
Results: The mean age was 32 ± 6 years with a range of 21 ± 47 years. Most (85.3%, n=180) were married. The
majority (62.1%, n=131) hailed from the Punjab province and from the age-group of ≤32 years (55.9%, n=118). The
findings seen on ultrasonography were normal echotexture in 93 (44.1%), NAFLD in 112 (53.1%), and chronic
liver disease in 6 (2.8%) individuals. NAFLD was commonest among HCV RNA genotype 3 positive cases.
Conclusion: Fifty-three percent patients with positive HCV RNA had NAFLD identified on ultrasonographic
examination. The genotype 3 of HCV RNA was particularly affiliated with NAFLD.