https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31134334 NAFLD

J Gastroenterol. 2019 May 27. doi: 10.1007/s00535-019-01594-6. [Epub ahead of print]

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with lower hepatitis B viral load and antiviral response in pediatric population.

Wang L1,2, Wang Y3, Liu S2, Zhai X1, Zhou G2, Lu F4, Zhao J5.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:
The interaction between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and chronic hepatitis B infection (CBI) was unclear. We aimed to investigate the association between NAFLD and CBI and the effect of NAFLD on response to antiviral therapy in pediatric population.

METHODS:
All children aged 0-18 years with liver biopsy-proven NAFLD, CBI, and co-existing NAFLD and CBI were consecutively collected. Children with co-existing CBI and NAFLD were considered as cases and n:m matched with simple NAFLD and simple CBI patients in the same cohort, respectively. In longitude study, the role of NAFLD in antiviral response was further analyzed in children with CBI who received antiviral treatment. Logistic or Cox regression models were used appropriately for analysis.

RESULTS:
765 subjects were finally enrolled with 62 co-existing patients, 560 CBI patients, and 143 NAFLD patients. Multivariate analysis showed that HBV DNA level was negatively associated with NAFLD in CBI children (OR 0.376, 95% CI 0.173-0.818). Conversely, the severity of steatosis and levels of serum lipid profile were found to be inversely associated with CBI in NAFLD subjects. Then, in longitude study, we found that HBsAg loss at 96 weeks of antiviral treatment was independently associated with NAFLD (aHR 3.245, 95% CI 1.288-8.176).

CONCLUSIONS:
An inverse association between CBI and NAFLD reciprocally existed in pediatric population. In longitude study, HBsAg loss was associated with NAFLD at week 96 of antiviral therapy.