Relationship between hepatitis C and kidney stone in US females: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2007-2018

Background: The main objective of this study is to explore the effects of hepatitis C (HCV) on the prevalence rate of kidney stones in US women. Method: Dates for HCV infection and kidney stones were collected from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database, a cross-sectional study. The analysis samples included adults aged >= 20 years and women from six consecutive cycles of the NHANES 2007-2018. The association between HCV infection and kidney stones was performed by using logistic regression models. Subgroup analyses were conducted to find sensitive crowds. Results: A total of 13,262 participants were enrolled, including 201 infected with HCV. After adjustment for potential confounders, we revealed a positive relationship between HCV and kidney stones (OR = 1.70, 95%CI:1.13-2.56). The crowds' statistically significant difference was characterized by other races (OR = 8.17, 95%CI:1.62-41.22) and BMI within 25-29.9 kg/m2 (OR = 2.45, 95%CI:1.24-4.83). Conclusions: HCV infection may affect the prevalence of urolithiasis in US women, even the causal relationship remains unclear, the relation deserves special attention. We considered such a study an ideal way to begin exploring the effects of HCV on kidney stones.