Production and activity of matrix metalloproteinases during liver fibrosis progression of chronic hepatitis C patients

Table 1 Demographic and clinical data of chronic hepatitis C patients compared with healthy individuals

	CHC, n = 119	CT, n = 119	P value
Sex, n (%)			< 0.001
Men	53 (45)	75 (63)
Women	66 (55)	44 (37)
Age in yr	54 ± 13	37 ± 10	< 0.001
BMI in kg/m2	27 ± 1	28 ± 1	0.340
Hb in g/dL	14 ± 2	16 ± 1	< 0.001
Leu as 103/µL	5.1 ± 1.0	7.4 ± 0.2	< 0.001
Platelets as × 103	177 ± 78	272 ± 62	< 0.001
Total bilirubin in mg/dL	2.52 ± 1.70	0.75 ± 0.29	0.001
Direct bilirubin in mg/dL	0.18 ± 0.15	0.07 ± 0.06	0.001
AST in UI/L	60 ± 5	30 ± 11	< 0.001
ALT in UI/L	63 ± 5	26 ± 18	< 0.001
GGT in UI/L	92.50 ± 10.67	30.55 ± 2.43	< 0.001

Data were expressed as the mean ± standard deviation. ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; AST: Aspartate aminotransferase; BMI: Body mass index; CHC: Chronic hepatitis C; CT: Control; GGT: Gamma glutamyl transpeptidase; Hb: Hemoglobin; Leu: Leukocytes.

Table 2 Demographic and biochemical data according to fibrosis stages

	F0 (36)	F1 (11)	F2 (14)	F3 (20)	F4 (38)	Differences
Sex, n (%)
Men	10 (30)	6 (60)	7 (50)	9 (45)	13 (37)	N/A
Women	26 (70)	5 (40)	7 (50)	11 (55)	25 (63)	N/A
Age in yr	50 ± 12	39 ± 7	55 ± 13	59 ± 10	55 ± 13	F0-F1a, F0-F3a, F1-F2b, F1-F3b, F1-F4b
BMI in kg/m2	25 ± 4	26 ± 4	26 ± 3	27 ± 3	27 ± 5	F0-F4a
Hb in g/dL	15.0 ± 1.3	14.0 ± 2.0	14.0 ± 2.0	14.0 ± 2.0	14.0 ± 2.0	N/S
Leu in g/dL	5.6 ± 1.3	6.5 ± 0.8	4.2 ± 1.4	4.7 ± 1.2	4.3 ± 2.2	F0-F4b
Platelets as × 103	231 ± 56	233 ± 20	193 ± 74	163 ± 54	92 ± 39	F0-F3b
						F0-F4b
						F1-F4b
						F2-F4b
						F3-F4b
Total bilirubin in mg/dL	0.72 ± 0.31	0.44 ± 0.22	0.73 ± 0.28	1.75 ± 0.85	2.39 ± 2.7	F0-F1b
						F1-F4b
						F2-F4a
						F3-F4a
Direct bilirubin in mg/dL	0.18 ± 0.10	0.07 ± 0.05	0.12 ± 0.10	0.23 ± 0.15	0.27 ± 0.3	F0-F1a
AST in UI/L	45 ± 7	38 ± 12	49 ± 11	74 ± 10	86 ± 16	F0-F3b
						F0-F4b
						F1-F3a
						F1-F4a
ALT in UI/L	56 ± 11	56 ± 8	57 ± 10	69 ± 10	80 ± 13	F0-F4b
GGT in UI/L	70.49 ± 15.65	51.30 ± 19.43	52.62 ± 14.10	91.58 ± 18.74	144.00 ± 25.29	F0-F4a
						F1-F3a
						F1-F4b
						F2-F4a

^aP < 0.05.

^bP < 0.01. Data are expressed as the mean ± standard deviation. Fibrosis stages: F0, F1, F2, F3 and F4. ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; AST: Aspartate aminotransferase; BMI: Body mass index, GGT: Gamma glutamyl transpeptidase; Hb: Hemoglobin; Leu: Leukocytes; N/A: Not applicable; N/S: Not significant.