Hepatitis C virus clearance and less liver damage in patients with high cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and APOE ε4 allele

Table 1 Demographic and clinical characteristics of hepatitis C virus patients, n (%)

Variable	Chronic, n = 206	Clearance, n = 93	P value
Demographic and clinical data
Age, yr (mean ± SD) (range)	51.0 ± 12.0 (20-78)	47.1 ± 13.0 (21-74)	0.100
Female sex	123 (60)	48 (52)	0.236
Time of evolution, yr	18.0 ± 14.5	20.2 ± 15.6	0.156
BMI, kg/m2 (mean ± SD)	27.0 ± 6.0	28.0 ± 4.1	0.098
Normal weight	76 (36.4)	19 (19.3)	0.003
Overweight	87 (42.2)	51 (54.8)	0.042
Obesity	43 (20.8)	23 (24.7)	0.456
Glucose, mg/dL	105.6 ± 43.6	101.6 ± 33.0	0.46
HOMA-IR > 2.5	114 (55.4)	40 (43.0)	0.072
Type 2 diabetes	27 (13.1)	7 (7.5)	0.183
Biochemistry
AST, IU/L	74.2 ± 53.4	30.9 ± 14.4	< 0.001
ALT, IU/L	76.4 ± 66.7	31.5 ± 19.8	< 0.001
Lipid profile
Total cholesterol, mg/dL	148.1 ± 43.3	184.1 ± 43.1	< 0.001
LDL-c, mg/dL	83.7 ± 37.2	112.4 ± 35.4	< 0.001
Triglycerides, mg/dL	127.7 ± 61.3	168.2 ± 80.3	< 0.001
VLDL-c, mg/dL	25.8 ± 14.3	33.3 ± 15.8	0.001
HDL-c, mg/dL	39.7 ± 13.5	41.9 ± 17.7	0.766
Lipid abnormality
Hypercholesterolemia	20 (9.8)	30 (32.2)	< 0.001
High LDL-c	20 (9.7)	24 (25.8)	< 0.001
Hypertriglyceridemia	60 (29.1)	45 (48.3)	0.001
Hypoalphalipoproteinemia	85 (41.3)	44 (47.3)	0.328
Viral genotype
HCV genotype 1	138 (66.9)	Not determined	-
Non-genotype 1	68 (33.1)
Fibrosis stage1
F1	26 (29.5)	30 (62.5)	< 0.001
F2	19 (21.8)	11 (22.9)	0.883
F3	9 (10.3)	1 (2.1)	0.083
F4	33 (38.5)	6 (12.5)	0.002
Risk factors for HCV infection
Surgeries	144 (69.9)	62 (66.7)	0.164
Blood transfusion	119 (58)	36 (38.7)	0.169
Tattooing	49 (23.7)	19 (20.4)	0.375
Dental procedure	49 (23.7)	18 (19.3)	0.28
Sexual promiscuity	41 (19.9)	14 (15.0)	0.702
Acupuncture	28 (13.5)	8 (8.6)	0.464
Injection drug use	27 (13.1)	10 (10.7)	0.932
Body piercing	4 (1.9)	8 (8.6)	0.002

¹Liver damage was assessed in 87 chronic hepatitis C and 48 spontaneous clearance patients. BMI: Body mass index; HOMA-IR: Homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance; AST: Aspartate aminotransferase; ALT: Alanine aminotransferase.