Semiquantitative and qualitative assessment of hepatic iron in patients with chronic viral hepatitis: relation with grading, staging and haemochromatosis mutations

Background. Hepatic iron overload is a common but still poorly characterized finding in patients with chronic viral hepatitis. Aim. To evaluate lobular and cellular distribution of iron in patients with chronic viral hepatitis, the relation between hepatic iron distribution, grading and staging, and the frequency of haemochromatosis gene mutations. Patients. Thirty-four patients with chronic viral hepatitis and iron overload; 34 matched chronic viral hepatitis controls without iron overload; 139 healthy controls. Methods. Hepatic iron was assessed by hepatic iron concentration and Deugnier's score, histological grading and staging by Ishak's score, and frequency of haemochromatosis gene mutations by polymerase chain reaction-restriction assays. Results and Conclusions. Iron deposits were found in hepatocytes (94% of the patients), sinusoidal tracts (88%) and portal cells (59%). In 41%, iron deposits were homogeneously distributed in the hepatic specimen. Hepatocytic iron showed a decre...