Clinical pathological significance of iron metabolism with chronic hepatitis C patients.

Serum ferritin levels, and histological liver iron content were determined in 106 patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) to find out whether iron status is involved in the pathogenesis of CHC and to study the relationship between sexual differences and the liver function test and liver histology. The serum ferritin index (SFI) as an indicator when both male and female subjects are combined was calculated. SFI significantly correlated with serum aminotransferase levels. In a comparative study of the relationship between serum ferritin levels and histological liver iron content, serum ferritin levels most strongly correlated with sinusoidal iron score (SIS) in male. A study of the relationship between liver histology and serum ferritin levels, and histological liver iron content showed that in the male subjects, serum ferritin levels, the portal iron score (PIS), SIS, and total iron score significantly increased as activity increased and serum ferritin levels and PIS were significantly higher as the F stage increased. These findings indicate that serum ferritin levels reflect histological liver iron content. Serum ferritin levels and histological liver iron content reflect histological activity and the F stage in males; in females, however, no relationship was observed.