Rate of fibrosis progression in HCV-negative and HCV-positive patients according to hepatic iron concentration.

Rate of fibrosis progression was determined by dividing the difference between the final fibrosis score and the initial fibrosis score by years of follow-up (Δ score/y). Minimum follow-up, 4 years; median follow-up, 86 months; interquartile range, 63-113 months. HCV-negative, n = 67; P < .001. HCV-positive, n = 93;P = .009. In the HCV-negative group, no patient with hepatic iron content lower than 16 mg/g dw showed fibrosis progression. No such threshold for fibrosis progression could be identified in HCV-positive patients. All HCV-positive patients with hepatic iron concentration greater than 22 mg/g dw had fibrosis progression.