Correct Answer: C
Rationale
In a population study of U.S. veterans infected with hepatitis C (n = 110,484), a Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine risk of developing cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma for genotypes 1-4, after adjusting for age, period of service, race, gender, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, alcohol use, diabetes, body mass index, and antiviral treatment. Despite genotype 3 patients being younger, their risk of developing cirrhosis was highest with hazard ratio = 1.30 (1.22, 1.39), compared to genotype 1 (reference, HR 1.0), genotype 2 with HR = 0.68 (0.64, 0.73), and genotype 4 with HR = 0.94 (0.78, 1.14). Likewise, the risk of development of hepatocellular carcinoma was highest for genotype 3 HCV with HR = 1.80 (1.60, 2.03), compared to a genotype 2 (HR = 0.55, 0.47, 0.63), and genotype 4 (0.99, 0.68, 1.45).
It is speculated that the hepatic steatosis that is a direct result of genotype 3 HCV may contribute to the accelerated progression to cirrhosis and HCC, but this has not been proven and was not evaluated in this Veteran Affairs study.
Reference
1. Kanwal F, Kramer JR, Ilyas J, et al. HCV genotype 3 is associated with an increased risk of cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer in a national sample of U.S. veterans with HCV. Hepatology. 2014;60(1):98-105.
