HFE gene mutations, hepatic iron content, and histological severity in hepatitis C virus-induced chronic hepatitis

Objective: to study whether any relationship exists between the C282Y and H63D mutations of the HFE gene, iron liver content, and the severity of histological damage in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-induced chronic hepatitis. Material and methods: in 72 patients diagnosed with HCV-chronic infection, naive for antiviral therapy, and undergoing liver biopsy, the Knodell index was established, a morphometric evaluation of hepatic hemosiderin deposits was performed by using a semiautomatic method of image analysis, and mutations of the HFE gene were identified through a polymerase chain reaction on leukocyte genomic DNA by using specific restriction enzymes. The control group for the distribution of HFE genetic variants was composed of 181 healthy individuals with the same ethnic and geographical (white Spaniards) origin. Results: (cases/controls): 1. Genotype distribution: a) mutation C282Y: no homozygotes, 6/23 heterozygotes, 66/158 without the mutation (not significant, n.s.); b) mutation H63D: 2/5 homozygotes, 26/52 heterozygotes, 44/124 without the mutation (n.s.). compound heterozygotes 2/6. 2. Allele frequencies: a) mutation C282Y: 0.042/0.064 (n.s.); b) mutation H63D: 0.208/0.171 (n.s.). Four C282Y heterozygous patients had stainable liver iron (p = 0.015 vs patients without mutations). Sixty-six patients were not carriers of the C282Y mutation; among them, 26.9% of 26 carriers and 15% of 40 non-carriers of the H63D mutation had liver stainable iron (n.s.). Knodell index score, gender, age at diagnosis, mode of transmission, and serum and liver iron values were not related to the HFE genotype. Conclusions: our results suggest that the C282Y mutation, but not the H63D mutation, of the HFE gene is frequently associated with stainable iron in the liver in HCV-related chronic hepatitis. The HFE genotype is not related to the histological severity of the disease.