Serum lipid profile and hepatic steatosis of adult beta-thalassaemia patients with chronic HCV infection.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the serum lipid profile and to assess the prevalence of hepatic steatosis in adult beta-thalassaemic patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

Methods: Thirty-five adult HCV infected, multi-transfused, beta-thalassaemia patients (beta-HCV patients), 63 otherwise normal patients with chronic HCV infection (HCV patients) and 54 beta-thalassaemia patients without chronic viral hepatitis (beta patients) were studied. Total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides, viral markers and liver histology were evaluated.