Hepatic steatosis has no impact on the outcome of treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection.
BACKGROUND
Hepatic steatosis, as a predictive factor in treatment outcome, was not investigated in chronic hepatitis B (CHB). The aim of this retrospective analysis is to determine possible relationships between hepatic steatosis and treatment response in patients with CHB.


METHODS
One hundred forty patients with CHB [42 hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive, 98 HBeAg-negative] were analyzed. Seventy-eight patients (55.7%) received pegylated interferon alpha 2a 180 mug/wk subcutaneously and 62 patients (44.3%) received pegylated interferon alpha 2a 180 mug/wk plus lamivudine 100 mg/d combination therapy.


RESULTS
The presence of steatosis was associated with increased body mass index and hyperlipidemia. The sustained virologic response (SVR) rates in HBeAg-negative patients were 36.2% and 31.5% in patients with and without steatosis, respectively (P>0.05). The SVR rates in HBeAg-positive patients were 39.6% and 33.3% in patients with and without steatosis, respectively (P>0.05). The prevalence of hepatic steatosis did not significantly affect the outcome of treatments in both groups. In pegylated interferon monotherapy group (group 1), SVR was 18/78 (23%) and in the pegylated interferon plus lamivudine combination group (group 2) SVR was 16/62 (26%), (P>0.05, NS). The independent factors affecting the treatment outcome were higher baseline alanine aminotransferase level and lower baseline viral load.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of steatosis is a common finding in CHB infection; however, it is not associated with viral load and treatment outcome.
Cindoruk
Mehmet
M
Faculty of Medicine, Gastroenterology Department, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
Karakan
Tarkan
T
Unal
Selahattin
S
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019259:Lamivudine; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a