Association between metabolic factors and chronic hepatitis B virus infection

Abstract

There are limited data regarding the relationship between chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and metabolic factors. This article aims to highlight the link of metabolic factors with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) serostatus, HBV load, and HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although HBsAg-positive serostatus was positively correlated with a high risk of metabolic syndrome in students, chronic HBV-infected individuals have high serum adiponectin levels. The androgen pathway in HBV carriers with a low body mass index is more triggered which leads to enhanced HBV replication. High HBV load was inversely associated with obesity in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-seropositive HBV carriers; while in HBeAg-seronegative HBV carriers, high HBV load was inversely related to hypertriglyceridemia rather than obesity. For overweight and obese HBV-infected patients, high HBV load was positively associated with serum adiponectin levels. Several large cohort studies have revealed a positive link of diabetes with incidence of HBV-related HCC. However, the association between incidence of HCC and metabolic factors other than diabetes is still inconclusive. More long-term prospective studies should elucidate the association of chronic HBV infection and its outcomes with metabolic factors in clinical practice.

Keywords: Adiponectin; Diabetes; Hepatitis B surface antigen; Hepatitis B viral load; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Obesity.