Table 5 Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis of the putative predictors of moderate/severe hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

	Odds ratio (95% CI)	p Value
Univariate analysis
Age (years)*	1.047 (1.01 to 1.08)	0.006
Gender	1.013 (0.46 to 2.22)	0.974
Drug addiction	0.697 (0.18 to 2.64)	0.595
Transfusion	0.992 (0.96 to 1.02)	0.541
Alcohol intake (⩾50 g/day for men and ⩾20 g for women)	7.286 (0.84 to 62.9)	0.071
Duration of infection (years)†	1.073 (0.98 to 1.18)	0.142
Age at infection (years)†	1.048 (0.99 to 1.11)	0.128
HCV genotype (1 versus non‐1)‡	1.268 (0.58 to 2.78)	0.554
Serum iron (μmol/l)	1.002 (0.99 to 1.01)	0.547
Transferrin saturation (%)	1.007 (0.98 to 1.03)	0.545
Serum ferritin (ng/ml)	1.000 (0.99 to 1.00)	0.478
HIC (μmol/g)	1.001 (0.98 to 1.01)	0.913
Hepatic stainable iron (Searle's score)	1.577 (0.98 to 2.53)	0.059
Any HFE gene mutation	0.926 (0.39 to 2.18)	0.861
Any β‐globin gene mutation*	4.298 (1.10 to 6.70)	0.035
Any HFE or β‐globin gene mutation	1.598 (0.72 to 3.55)	0.251
Multivariate analysis
Age (years)	1.054 (1.01 to 1.09)	0.005
Any β‐globin gene mutation	4.992 (1.22 to 20.3)	0.025

HCV, hepatitis C virus; HFE, haemachromatosis; HIC, hepatic iron concentration.

*These predictors were selected to enter in the multivariate logistic model (see Results section).

†Data were available for 41 of 100 patients.

‡Data were available for 97 of 100 patients.