title: Hepatic steatosis in chronic hepatitis B: contributing factors and effect on fibrosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determinate factors that contribute to the steatosis's formation in chronic hepatitis B, to evaluate its influence on the development of hepatic fibrosis and to research an eventual relation to virologic factors in a Tunisian cohort of patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients with chronic hepatitis B confirmed by data of liver biopsy were included in this study, which was enrolled from 1990 to 2006. The studied parameters were: age, gender, body mass index, transaminases, cholesterol, triglycerides, glycaemia and DNA rate, status HBe antigen and the degree of activity and histological fibrosis was estimated according to the score of METAVIR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen patients (34.1%) among the 44 patients includes in this study had hepatic steatosis; that was mild in 10 patients (66.6%), moderate in 3 cases (20%) and severe in 2 patients (13.4%). The antigen HBe was negative in 27 patients (62.22%). The mean age of the patients having a steatosis was of 32.33 years versus 27.75 years for those who had no it (p=0.185). The transaminases rate was superior in patients with steatosis than those without, the difference was not significant. Univariate correlation between predictor variables was studied. Significant predictors to steatosis included body mass index (p=0.011) and cholesterol (p=0.037). HBe Ag status was not associated with steatosis. Neither activity nor fibrosis was correlated with steatosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Tunisian patients, factors contributing to the formation of steatosis during the chronic hepatitis B were the body mass index and the rate of cholesterol. The steatosis did not seem to have an influence on the development of the hepatic fibrosis and seems to be independent on the viral effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Habib Thameur Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Héla
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Elloumi
authors.forename: Rania
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hefaiedh
authors.forename: Dalila
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gargouri
authors.forename: Ashraf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chedly-Debbiche
authors.forename: Olfa
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Khayat
authors.forename: Najet
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bel Hadj
authors.forename: Jamel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kharrat
authors.forename: Abdeljabbar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghorbel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol