Licata A, Nebbia ME, Cabibbo G, Iacono GL, Barbaria F, Brucato V, Alessi N, Porrovecchio S, Di Marco V, Craxì A, Cammà C. Hyperferritinemia is a risk factor for steatosis in chronic liver disease. World J Gastroenterol 2009; 15(17): 2132-2138 [PMID: 19418586 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.15.2132]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Dr. Anna Licata, MD, Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy. annalisalicata@yahoo.com
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World J Gastroenterol. May 7, 2009; 15(17): 2132-2138 Published online May 7, 2009. doi: 10.3748/wjg.15.2132
Table 1 Demographic, laboratory and histological features of 124 patients (mean ± SD)
Variable
Mean age (yr)
53.3 ± 1.2
Age (yr), n (%)
≤ 50
51 (41.2)
> 50
73 (58.8)
Sex, n (%)
Male
90 (72.5)
Female
34 (27.5)
BMI (kg/m2)
< 25
74 (59.6)
25-29.9
50 (40.3)
ALT-UNL
3.0 ± 1.0
AST-UNL
2.0 ± 1.0
GGT-UNL
2.0 ± 0.3
Ferritin (ng/mL)
799.7 ± 75.6
Serum iron (&mgr;g/dL)
126 ± 6.3
Platelet count × 103/cmm
186 ± 74.33
HOMA score
3.48 ± 1.80
Steatosis
92 (74.2)
Etiology
Anti-HCV
53 (42.7)
NAFLD
35 (28.2)
NAFLD/diabetes
11 (8.8)
NASH
11 (8.8)
Cryptogenic
14 (11.3)
Histology (54)
Chronic hepatitis C
27 (50)
Cirrhosis cryptogenic
9 (16.6)
NAFLD
7 (12.9)
NASH
11 (20.3)
HFE mutations
53 (42.7)
H63D heterozygous
49 (39.5)
C282Y heterozygous
2 (1.6)
C282Y/H63D compound het
2 (1.6)
Table 2 Univariate analysis of risk factors for absent/present liver steatosis in 124 patients with high serum level ferritin
Variable
Steatosis
P value
Absent (n = 32)
Present (n = 92)
Age (yr)
50.9 ± 3.1
54.2 ± 1.3
0.06
Sex
18 (56.2)
72 (78.2)
0.14
BMI (kg/m2)
24.4 ± 3.2
25.2 ± 3.1
0.30
ALT-UNL
47.7 ± 7.7
117.5 ± 11.2
0.1
AST-UNL
35.7 ± 5.3
89 ± 10.8
0.3
GGT
93.1 ± 20.7
174.1 ± 19.7
0.03
Anti-HCV positivity
24 (75)
28 (30.4)
0.02
Ferritin (ng/mL)
464 ± 183
1060.8 ± 79
0.0006
Serum Iron (&mgr;g/dL)
96.3 ± 7.5
137 ± 7.7
0.8
Platelet count × 103/cmm
217.8 ± 16.1
176.9 ± 8.26
0.24
HOMA
3.0 ± 2.25
3.5 ± 2.8
0.23
HFE mutations
14 (43.7)
40 (43.4)
0.63
Diabetes
11 (34.3)
11 (12)
0.2
Table 3 Predictors of steatosis in 124 patients by logistic regression model
Predictor
Univariate analysis
Multivariate analysis
OR (95% CI)
P value
OR (95% CI)
P value
Age (yr)
0.962 (0.923-1.002)
0.060
0.97 (0.94-1.14)
0.23
Sex
0.455 (0.160-1.297)
0.14
-
-
BMI (kg/m2)
1.050 (0.96-1.14)
0.23
-
-
ALT-UNL
0.997 (0.993-1.001)
0.12
-
-
AST-UNL
0.998 (0.994-1.002)
0.36
-
-
GGT-UNL
1.007 (1.001-1.013)
0.030
1.007 (1.003-1.014)
0.0043
Anti-HCV positivity
0.274 (0.110-0.682)
0.005
0.40 (0.20-1.10)
0.08
Platelet count × 103/cmm
1.000 (1.000-1.000)
0.24
-
-
Ferritin (ng/mL)
1.002 (1.001-1.004)
0.0006
1.003 (1.002-1.004)
0.0009
Serum Iron (&mgr;g/dL)
0.999 (0.991-1.008)
0.84
-
-
HFE mutations
0.796 (0.313-2.020)
0.63
-
-
Diabetes
0.995 (0.986-1.004)
0.28
-
-
Table 4 Multivariate analysis of risk factors for high serum ferritin levels in 124 patients by linear regression model
Variable
β
SE
P
Male
93.183
183.13
0.612
ALT-UNL
-0.07174
1.09734
0.948
AST-UNL
1.06027
1.05841
0.319
GGT-UNL
0.92457
0.5746
0.111
Anti-HCV positivity
521.964
169.40
0.0028
Platelet count × 103/cmm
-0.00250
0.0010
0.0161
Steatosis
933.7287
180.437
< 0.0001
Citation: Licata A, Nebbia ME, Cabibbo G, Iacono GL, Barbaria F, Brucato V, Alessi N, Porrovecchio S, Di Marco V, Craxì A, Cammà C. Hyperferritinemia is a risk factor for steatosis in chronic liver disease. World J Gastroenterol 2009; 15(17): 2132-2138