title: Change in skeletal muscle mass after administering entecavir in patients with hepatitis B.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cachexia, or disease-related loss of muscle mass, is a complication of chronic liver disease that modifies its clinical course. The aim of this study was to determine whether improvement in liver function and cachexia through control of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) increases skeletal muscle mass.
  
  
  METHODS
  The blood tests and cross-sectional area (mm(2)) of the psoas major muscle on computed tomography were measured before and after long-term entecavir therapy (median, 39 mo; range, 14-76 mo) in patients with hepatitis B (17 men, 13 women; mean age, 63 ± 13 y).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The anti-HBV effect was good in 30 patients given entecavir, and most patients had undetectable serum HBV-DNA levels (93%) and alanine aminotransferase normalization (83%) within a median of 32 mo. Overall, no significant change in the area of the psoas major muscle was seen in any of the patients, although a significant increase was seen when limited to cases of protein malnutrition defined as serum albumin (Alb) <4 g/dL. A positive correlation was seen for the amount of change (Δ) in the psoas major muscle and the amount of change (Δ) in Alb.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present findings suggest that skeletal muscle mass may fluctuate in parallel with Alb levels. An improvement in low muscle mass may thus be expected from antiviral therapy for viral liver disease, especially in patients with cachexia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Japan. Electronic address: motoh@clin.medic.mie-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Motoh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iwasa
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryosuke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sugimoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Japan.
authors.forename: Kyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Japan.
authors.forename: Hirohide
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyachi
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Japan.
authors.forename: Rumi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mifuji-Moroka
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshinao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takei
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002100:Cachexia / Q000209:etiology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006147:Guanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011488:Protein Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D016658:Psoas Muscles / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004279:DNA, Viral; D012709:Serum Albumin; C413685:entecavir; D006147:Guanine; D000410:Alanine Transaminase
keywords: Albumin; Cachexia; Entecavir; Hepatitis B