Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease and Pancreatic Steatosis in Obese Versus Lean Chronic Hepatitis B Patients

Study of Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD) and Pancreatic Steatosis in Obese Versus Lean Chronic Hepatitis B Patients

This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), fatty pancreas and hepatic fibrosis in obese and lean patients with chronic hepatitis B; either treatment naive or on treatment with first-line nucleos(t)ide analogs.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the major etiologies of chronic liver disease. Pathologies caused by HBV infection range from chronic hepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Obesity is another significant health burden. Abdominal obesity is a type of obesity that is commonly associated with severe metabolic disorders and cardiovascular diseases.

Previous research has linked abdominal obesity to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and even metabolic syndrome. In 2020, NAFLD was renamed metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) by a group of experts. MAFLD is defined by the presence of liver steatosis in addition to overweight/obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), or metabolic dysregulation with at least two risk factors, such as an increased waist circumference, pre-diabetes, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, and low serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol levels.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 18 years or older.
• Both sexes.
• Chronic hepatitis B patients.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody positive.
• Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
• Human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV).
• Pregnancy.