No influence of hepatic steatosis on the 3-year outcomes of patients with quiescent chronic hepatitis B

Abstract

The influence of hepatic steatosis on the natural history of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) virus is unclear. Therefore, we investigated whether concurrent steatosis in patients with CHB influences the probability of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss, fibrosis progression and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. This study enrolled treatment-naïve patients with virologically (HBV DNA <2,000 IU/ml) and biochemically (alanine aminotransferase level <40 IU/L) quiescent CHB who underwent transient elastography between January 2004 and December 2015 and completed 3 years of follow-up. RESULTS: The mean age of the study population (n = 720) was 52.0 years, and there were more men than women (n = 419, 58.2%). The mean HBV DNA level was 321.6 IU/ml. During the 3-year period, 74 (10.3%) patients achieved HBsAg seroclearance. Lower HBV DNA levels (hazard ratio = 0.995, p < .05) were independently associated with HBsAg seroclearance, while hepatic steatosis was not (p > .05). Fibrosis progressed in 89 (12.4%) patients. Male gender (odds ratio [OR] = 1.720) and higher body mass index (OR = 1.083) were independently associated with an increased probability of fibrosis progression (all p < .05), while higher total cholesterol levels (OR = 0.991) and higher liver stiffness values (OR = 0.862) were independently associated with a decreased probability of fibrosis progression (all p < .05). HCC developed in 46 (6.4%) patients. Male gender (OR = 3.917) and higher AST levels (OR = 1.036) were independently associated with an increased probability of HCC development (p < .05). Hepatic steatosis was not associated with the probability of HBsAg seroclearance, fibrosis progression or HCC development in patients quiescent CHB in our study. Further studies with longer follow-up periods are required to validate our findings.