Lipid profile in cirrhotic patients and its relation to clinical outcome

BACKGROUND: Carriers of hepatitis C virus have lower levels of total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol, low density lipoprotein- cholesterol and triglycerides compared to uninfected patients. With the progression of liver disease, the values ​​for cholesterol and its fractions reduce linearly, with reduction ratio of lipid profile and markers Child-Pugh and MELD. AIM: To determine the relationship between decrease dlipid profile with clinical outcome presented (liver transplantation or death pre-transplant). METHODS: Was conducted a cross sectional analytical study of a follow-up study performed by reviewing medical records. Cirrhotic patients treated at theClinic of Gastroenterology from a large tertiary hospital with cirrhosis of viral etiology and/or alcohol were studied. The clinical characteristics (gender, age and etiology of cirrhosis) and lipid profile data from150 patients were collected in the year 2010.To analyze the occurrence of clinical outcomes (liver transplantation or death pre-transplant) patients were evaluated after four years. RESULTS: The prevalent cause was hepatitis C virus (53,3%), followed by alcohol (32%) and hepatitis C and alcohol (14,6%). Males represented 62% of the sample and the average age was 63.1±9.11 years. The prevalent lipid changes were hypocholesterolemia associated with hypotriglyceridemia (36,6%) and isolated hypocholesterolemia (34,6%). Analyzing groups of patients that showed abnormalities related to lipid profile, was identified a significant association between isolated hypocholesterolemia and clinical outcome-liver transplant(p <0.025) and 18% probability of performing liver transplantation in this group of patients. There was no association between decreased lipid profile and death. CONCLUSION: Isolated hypocholesterolemia contributes to assess the progression of liver disease, because of the association between lowering cholesterol and its fractions and the clinical outcome - liver transplant