Impact of human immunodeficiency virus infection on the prevalence and severity of steatosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

Background/aims: Although steatosis is strongly associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, little is known about this finding in patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and HCV. The aims of the present study were to determine the prevalence and severity of steatosis in HIV/HCV coinfected patients.

Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing liver biopsy were prospectively identified and were interviewed to obtain detailed demographic and clinical data. Steatosis was scored according to the percentage of hepatocytes involved: 0 (none), 1 (<33%), 2 (33-66%), or 3 (>66%); fibrosis was scored on a scale from 0 to 4.

Results: A total of 708 patients were enrolled, including 154 with HIV/HCV coinfection and 554 with HCV monoinfection. Steatosis of any grade (72.1 vs. 52.0%, P<0.001), grade 2/3 steatosis (48.1 vs. 20.2%, P<0.001), and stage 3/4 fibrosis (43.5 vs. 30.0%, P=0.002) were significantly more common in coinfected patients. Compared to HCV monoinfected subjects, HIV/HCV coinfection was associated with a significantly increased odds of steatosis of any grade (OR=3.21; 95% CI, 1.84-5.60) and grade 2/3 steatosis (OR=5.63; 95% CI, 3.05-10.36) after adjusting for potential confounding variables. Among coinfected patients, the fibrosis progression rate increased in a linear fashion with the grade of steatosis.

Conclusions: Steatosis is more common and more severe in HIV/HCV coinfected patients than in those with HCV monoinfection.