Etiological Spectrum of Chronic Liver Disease in Pakistan: Correlation with MELD Score and Liver Function Tests

Background: Chronic Liver Disease (CLD) is a major global health issue, with hepatitis B and C viruses, alcohol abuse, and NAFLD being common causes. A study in Pakistan is investigating the relationship between various CLD causes, MELD scores, LFTs, and complications like hepatic encephalopathy and ascites, with HCV being the leading etiology in their preliminary findings. Methodology: A six-month cross-sectional study was conducted in four hospitals, enrolling 126 adult patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) through convenience sampling. Data was collected via questionnaires and medical record review. Statistical analysis using SPSS aimed to reveal associations between CLD etiologies and disease severity was done. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the demographic and clinical characteristics. Chi-square tests were applied to examine associations between CLD etiologies and categorical clinical outcomes such as ascites and HE grades. Results: This study investigated 126 chronic liver disease (CLD) patients, revealing that Hepatitis C virus (51.6%) was the predominant etiology, followed by Hepatitis B (13.5%) and alcoholic liver disease (10.3%). The majority of patients were aged 41-60 years (55.7%), with a male-to-female ratio of 56:43. Hepatic encephalopathy was the most frequent symptom (80.2%), and a significant association was found between Hepatitis C and the development of ascites. MELD scores ranged from 3-39, but showed no statistical correlation with CLD duration or etiology. Conclusion: This study confirms that Hepatitis C is the leading cause of CLD in this cohort. The findings underscore the importance of etiology-specific considerations in managing CLD, despite MELD scores not showing a direct correlation with disease duration or cause in this population.