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Association between obesity, hypertriglyceridemia and low hepatitis B viral load

International Journal of Obesity volume 37, pages 410–415 (2013)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective:

This study aimed to investigate the metabolic risk factors of high hepatitis B viral load.

Design:

Large-scale, community-based cross-sectional study.

Subjects:

A total of 3587 hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected participants without liver cirrhosis at study entry were investigated. High HBV viral load was defined as a serum level ⩾104 copies per ml for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seronegatives or ⩾108 copies per ml for HBeAg seropositives.

Results:

Among HBeAg seropositives (n=545), high HBV viral load was reversely associated with extreme obesity (odds ratio (OR), 0.30; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.13–0.68; P=0.004) or central obesity (OR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.34–0.82; P=0.004) after adjustment for gender, hypertriglyceridemia, hyperuricemia and history of hypertension. High HBV viral load remained significantly inversely associated with extreme obesity (OR, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.05–0.63; P=0.008) and central obesity (OR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.25–0.78; P=0.005) in male HBeAg-seropositive participants in stratification analyses by gender. Among HBeAg seronegatives (n=3042), however, high HBV viral load was inversely associated with hypertriglyceridemia (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.61–0.89, P=0.002) after adjustment for age, gender, high serum alanine aminotransferase level, and extreme obesity or central obesity. High HBV viral load was still inversely associated with hypertriglyceridemia in both female (OR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.50–0.97; P=0.041) and male (OR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.60–0.94; P=0.011) HBeAg-seronegative participants.

Conclusion:

Extreme obesity and central obesity were associated with a low prevalence of high HBV viral load in HBeAg seropositives, especially in men; while hypertriglyceridemia was associated with a low prevalence of high viral load in HBeAg seronegatives in both women and men.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by research grants from the Department of Health, Executive Yuan, Taipei, Taiwan; Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., USA; National Health Research Institutes, Chunan, Taiwan; and Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan. Other Members of the Risk Evaluation of Viral Load Elevation and Associated Liver Disease/Cancer-Hepatitis B Virus (REVEAL-HBV) Study Group are as follows: National Taiwan University Hospital: CY Hsieh, HS Lee, PM Yang, CH Chen, JD Chen, SP Huang, CF Jan. National Taiwan University: THH Chen. National Defense Medical Center: CA Sun. Taipei City Psychiatric Center: MH Wu Tzu Chi University: LY Wang, SY Chen. Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital: KE Chu Huhsi Health Center, Penghu County: SC Ho, TG Lu Provincial Penghu Hospital: WP Wu, TY Ou Sanchi Health Center, Taipei County: CG Lin Provincial Chutung Hospital: KC Shih Provincial Potzu Hospital: WS Chung, C Li Kaohsu Health Center, Pingtung County: CC Chen. Paihsa Health Center, Penghu County: WC How.

Author information

Author notes

  1. J Su: Previous employee.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Community and Family Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Yun-Lin Branch, Yun-Lin, Taiwan

    C-H Chiang

  2. Department of Family Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

    C-H Chiang

  3. Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan

    H-I Yang

  4. Molecular and Genomic Epidemiology Research Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan

    H-I Yang

  5. Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan

    C-L Jen, S-L You & C-J Chen

  6. Department of Gastroenterology, Kaohsiung Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    S-N Lu

  7. MacKay Medical College, New Taipei, Taiwan

    L-Y Wang

  8. Research and Development, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Wallingford, CT, USA

    J Su & U H Iloeje

  9. Graduate Institute of Epidemiology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan

    C-J Chen

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for the REVEAL-HBV Study Group

Corresponding author

Correspondence to C-J Chen.

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Competing interests

At no time did the funding sources have access the data, preparation, review or approval of the manuscript. Dr Iloeje is an employee of and holds stock in Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. Dr Su was an employee off and held stock in Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. The remaining authors disclose no conflict.

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Chiang, CH., Yang, HI., Jen, CL. et al. Association between obesity, hypertriglyceridemia and low hepatitis B viral load. Int J Obes 37, 410–415 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2012.63

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