SUMMARY
OBJECTIVE:
There are limited data on
non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in
chronic hepatitis B virus infection. We aimed to determine the predictors for
non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in
patients with
treatment-naïve
chronic hepatitis B virus infection.
METHODS:
All consecutive
treatment-naïve
patients with
chronic hepatitis B virus infection at the Haseki
Training and
Research Hospital between October 1, 2021, and September 31, 2022, were retrospectively enrolled.
Chronic hepatitis B virus infection is defined by positive
serum hepatitis B surface antigen for 6 months or more.
Patients with significant
alcohol consumption, prolonged steatogenic
drug use,
malignancy, monogenic hereditary disorders,
patients co-infected with
hepatitis D virus,
hepatitis C virus infection, or
human immunodeficiency virus were excluded. Demographic characteristics, anthropometric determinants,
laboratory findings, and virological
parameters were retrospectively collected from
patients' charts and
electronic medical records.
RESULTS:
A total of 457
patients with
treatment-naïve
chronic hepatitis B virus infection were included in the study. The three multivariate regression models revealed that age (p<0.028),
body mass index (p=0.046),
diabetes mellitus (p=0.030),
hemoglobin (p=0.008),
platelet (p=0.012), and
triglyceride (p=0.002) in Model 1;
body mass index (p=0.033),
diabetes mellitus (p<0.001),
hemoglobin (p=0.008),
platelet (p=0.004), LDL (p=0.023), and HDL (p=0.020) in Model 2; and age (p<0.001),
body mass index (p=0.033),
hemoglobin (p=0.004),
platelet (p=0.004), and HDL (p=0.007) in Model 3 were independent predictors.
CONCLUSION:
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease was observed in about one-third of
patients with
chronic hepatitis B virus infection and was positively associated with older age, higher
body mass index, presence of comorbid conditions including
diabetes mellitus, increased levels of metabolic
laboratory parameters, especially
serum triglyceride and LDL, and decreased HDL.