Clinical Profiles and Their Interaction of Concurrent Metabolic Associated Steatotic Liver Disease and Hepatitis B Virus Infection

Overview

Journal World J Hepatol

Publisher Baishideng Publishing Group

Specialty Gastroenterology

Date 2025 Jan 2

PMID 39744191

Authors

Shao-Wen Wang

Yu-Wen Chang

Ching Wang

Yu-Ming Cheng

Tsung-Han Hsieh

Chia-Chi Wang

Jia-Horng Kao

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: A new nomenclature of metabolic associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) was proposed in 2023, thus expanding the diagnostic name of "MASLD combined with other etiologies".

Aim: To investigate the clinical profiles of patients with concurrent MASLD and chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

Methods: This study included participants from the Taiwan Bio-bank. The diagnostic criteria of MASLD encompassed hepatic steatosis and any cardio-metabolic risk factors. Positive hepatitis B surface antigen was considered indicative of chronic HBV infection. Dual etiology was defined as MASLD combined with chronic HBV infection (MASLD-HBV). Fibrosis 4 (FIB-4) score determined the severity of liver fibrosis, and atherosclerosis was diagnosed by the presence of carotid plaques on duplex ultrasound.

Results: In a total of 18980 participants (mean age, 55.18 ± 10.35 years; males, 30.42%), there were 7654 (40.3%) MASLD patients and 2128 (11.2%) HBV carriers. After propensity score matching for age and gender, HBV carriers had a lower percentage of MASLD than healthy controls. Those with dual etiology had higher aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and FIB-4 levels, but lower gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels than MASLD patients. In contrast, those with dual etiology had higher ALT and GGT levels, but lower FIB-4 than "HBV alone" patients. The risk of atherosclerosis was similar among these three groups.

Conclusion: MASLD-HBV patients have worse liver fibrosis severity than MASLD patients, but better liver fibrosis stage than "HBV alone" patients, suggesting a complex interaction between MASLD and chronic HBV infection.

Citing Articles

Hepatitis B virus infection and metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease: Rising pandemic with complex interaction.

Majeed A, Butt A World J Hepatol. 2025; 17(1):100968.

PMID: 39871900 PMC: 11736482. DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v17.i1.100968.

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