A population-based study investigating the association between metabolic syndrome and hepatitis B/C infection (Keelung Community-based Integrated Screening study No. 10).
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to assess the association between metabolic syndrome (MS) and hepatitis B/C virus infection using a large population-based study.


METHODS
A population-based cross-sectional study design was adopted with a total of 53,528 subjects being enrolled from the integrated multiple diseases screening program in Keelung, Taiwan. Evidence of past hepatitis B/C infection, acquired during childhood or as a young adult, was identified during the two-stage liver cancer screening part of the process. Information on biochemical markers and anthropometric measures related to MS, such as fasting blood sugar, triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein (HDL), abdominal circumference and blood pressure (BP), were collected routinely while screening for hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and related 95% confidence intervals for the associations between MS and hepatitis B/C infection.


RESULTS
High blood pressure (SBP > or = 135 mmHg or DBP > or = 85 mmHg) (adjusted odd ratio: 0.89 (0.83-0.94)) and high triglyceride (> or = 150 mg/dl) (adjusted odds ratio: 0.65 (0.60-0.69)) were, after adjusting for gender and age, inversely associated with being HBsAg positive (P<0.05). The likelihood of developing MS was lower in the HBsAg positive than the HBsAg negative (adjusted odds ratio: 0.84 (0.76-0.93)). A positive association between being anti-HCV positive and having low serum HDL (male <40 mg/dl, female <50 mg/dl) was also noted (adjusted odds ratio: 1.61 (1.37-1.88) after controlling for gender and age). High triglyceride was inversely associated with being anti-HCV positive (adjusted odds ratio: 0.63 (0.55-0.71).


CONCLUSIONS
There is an inverse association between MS and hepatitis B virus infection whereas the association was heterogeneous for HCV infection with a positive association with abnormal serum HDL but an inverse association with hypertriglyceridemia.
Jan
C-F
CF
Department of Family Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
Chen
C-J
CJ
Chiu
Y-H
YH
Chen
L-S
LS
Wu
H-M
HM
Huang
C-C
CC
Yen
M-F
MF
Chen
T H-H
TH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013624:Taiwan
D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens