Clinical and laboratory characteristics associated with dyslipidemia and liver steatosis in chronic HBV carriers

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical Vol. 47; no. 2; pp. 158 - 164
• Main Authors: Nau, Angélica Luciana, Soares, Júlia Cristina, Shiozawa, Maria Beatriz Cacese, Dantas-Corrêa, Esther Buzaglo, Schiavon, Leonardo de Lucca, Narciso-Schiavon, Janaína Luz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Brazil Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical - SBMT 01.04.2014; Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT)
• Subjects: Adult; Body Mass Index; Cholesterol; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dyslipidemias - blood; Dyslipidemias - virology; Fatty liver; Fatty Liver - blood; Fatty Liver - virology; Female; HBV; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis B, Chronic - blood; Hepatitis B, Chronic - complications; Humans; Lipids; Lipids - blood; Male; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies; Triglycerides; TROPICAL MEDICINE; Lipids; Triglycerides; Fatty liver; HBV; Cholesterol; Hepatitis B
• ISSN: 0037-8682; 1678-9849; 1678-9849; 0037-8682
• DOI: 10.1590/0037-8682-0009-2014

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and liver steatosis (LS) are the most common causes of chronic liver disease, and their coexistence is frequently observed in clinical practice. Although metabolic syndrome is the main cause of LS, it has not been associated with HBV infection. The aims of this study were to describe the lipid profile and prevalence of LS among HBV carriers and to identify the characteristics associated with LS in this group. This retrospective cross-sectional study included hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive patients evaluated during 2011 and 2012. Of the 83 patients included, the mean age was 46.4±12.5 years, 53% were men, and 9.1% were hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) -positive. These patients exhibited the following lipid profile: total cholesterol = 175.4±38.8mg/dL, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) = 113.0±32.7mg/dL, and triglycerides = 91.1±45.2mg/dL. Their fasting glucose was 95.3±14.5g/dL, and fasting insulin was 6.1±5.9µIU/mL. Liver steatosis was observed on abdominal ultrasound in 11.3% of individuals. Factors associated with the presence of LS included higher levels of total cholesterol, prothrombin activity, fasting insulin, and body mass index (BMI) as well as lower levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST). These findings suggest that LS in patients with chronic HBV appears to be a consequence of metabolic alterations and insulin action rather than of viral factors.