Phlebotomy improves histology in chronic hepatitis C males with mild iron overload

Table 4 Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis of the putative predictors of the histological improvement in 28 patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with phlebotomy

	Odds ratio (95% CI)	P
Univariate analysis
Age (yr)	0.90 (0.80-1.01)	0.085
Male gender	Females are all non responders
Drug addict (yes/non)1
Previous transfusion (yes/non)	1.19 (0.26-5.5)	0.82
Alcohol abuse (yes/non)2	3 (0.24 38)	0.39
Alcohol intake (g/d)3	1.06 (1.004-1.11)	0.034
Body mass index (kg/m2)	0.96 (0.78-1.17)	0.69
HCV Genotype (1 vs non-1)	0.84 (0.18-3.95)	0.82
Previous antiviral treatment (yes/non)	0.71 (0.16-2.23)	0.66
Days between the two liver biopsies	1 (0.99-1.001)	0.91
Aspartate aminotransferase (U/L)	1.001 (0.99-1.01)	0.79
Alanine aminotransferase (U/L)	1.006 (0.99-1.02)	0.37
γ glutamyl transpeptidase (U/L)	1.002 (0.99-1.01)	0.71
Hemoglobin (g/100 mL)	1.32 (0.79-2.21)	0.28
Serum iron (μmol/L)	0.99 (0.98-1.02)	0.9
Transferrin saturation (%)	0.97 (0.90-1.04)	0.42
Serum ferritin (ng/mL)	1.004 (0.99-1.008)	0.06
Histological grade (Knodell’s score)3	2.4 (1.2-4.95)	0.013
Histological stage (Knodell’s score)	1.32 (0.71-2.45)	0.12
Steatosis grade (0/1/2/3)4	0.7 (0.23-2.1)	0.53
Hepatic iron concentration (μmol/g dry tissue)3	1.16 (1-1.34)	0.043
Hepatic iron grading (Searle’s score)	2.64 (0.69-10.1)	0.15
Multivariate analysis on male patients
Hepatic iron concentration (μmol/g dry tissue)	1.41 (1.03-1.94)	0.031

¹Only two subjects were drug addicts, so the univariate analysis was not performed;

²Yes: ≥ 50 g/d for men or 20 g/d for women;

³These variables were selected to enter in the multivariate model;

⁴Data were available for 26 out 28 patients. Steatosis grade: 0, no steatosis; 1, ≤ 33% of hepatocytes; 2, 34%-66%; 3, > 66%.