title: Central Obesity and Advanced Liver Stiffness in Hepatitis B: Result from Golestan Hepatitis B Cohort Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus and obesity may both contribute synergistically to liver disease, although relatively few studies have investigated this hypothesis. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the relationship between central obesity and the liver stiffness in the Golestan Hepatitis B cohort study (GHBCS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Our study included 304 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients enrolled from GHBCS. Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and laboratory tests were performed after a follow-up of 4 years (2012). The hepatitis B viral load was measured at the baseline and follow-up using the real-time PCR method. Waist circumference ≥ 102 cm in men and ≥ 89 cm in women (central obesity) was considered to be abnormal. Advanced liver stiffness (ALS) was defined as LSM ≥ 8 KPa. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS-V17. Logistic regression was used to test predictors of advanced liver stiffness (LSM ≥ 8 KPa). Linear regression was used to test the predictive value of variables in ALT (as a continuous variable). P-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among these CHB patients, 19 (7.4%) cases with a mean (±SD) age of 49.5 (±6.3) developed ALS after 4 years of follow-up. Multivariate analysis showed a significant predictive role of central obesity and viral load in ALS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Central obesity is related to the liver stiffness in chronic hepatitis B patients.
authors: Liver and Pancreatobiliary Diseases Research Center, Digestive Disease Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Golestan Research Center of Gastroentrology and Hepatology, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Golestan, Iran.
authors: Sima
authors: S
authors: Besharat
authors: Liver and Pancreatobiliary Diseases Research Center, Digestive Disease Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. h.poustchi@gmail.com.
authors: Hossein
authors: H
authors: Poustchi
authors: Liver and Pancreatobiliary Diseases Research Center, Digestive Disease Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Ashraf
authors: A
authors: Mohamadkhani
authors: Liver and Pancreatobiliary Diseases Research Center, Digestive Disease Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Golestan Research Center of Gastroentrology and Hepatology, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Golestan, Iran.
authors: Gholamreza
authors: G
authors: Roshandel
authors: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, Maryland, USA.
authors: Neal D
authors: ND
authors: Freedman
authors: Liver and Pancreatobiliary Diseases Research Center, Digestive Disease Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Shahin
authors: S
authors: Merat
authors: Digestive Oncology Research Center, Digestive Disease Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Reza
authors: R
authors: Malekzadeh
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000150:complications*; D019562:Viral Load