Published online Mar 27, 2024. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v16.i3.465
Peer-review started: October 24, 2023
First decision: January 5, 2024
Revised: January 26, 2024
Accepted: February 28, 2024
Article in press: February 28, 2024
Published online: March 27, 2024
Processing time: 155 Days and 3.3 Hours
There is a surge in patients having chronic hepatitis B (CHB) with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, there are several conflicting observations in the literature on the effect of NAFLD in patients with CHB who are under antiviral treatment.
A meta-analysis was conducted to explore the impact of NAFLD on the treatment response in antiviral-treated patients with CHB.
The complexity of liver disease has increased, which poses new challenges in clinical diagnosis and treatment. In this scenario, a specific antiviral strategy is warranted for patients having CHB with NAFLD.
This is a systematic review and meta-analysis that compared the response to antiviral treatment between patients with CHB alone and those with CHB and hepatic steatosis. We investigated these two groups in terms of biochemical responses, serological responses, and virological responses to the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
In the meta-analysis, hepatic steatosis lowered the biochemical response until 48 wk and 96 wk and serological response until 96 wk to antiviral treatment in patients with CHB. On the contrary, virological responses until 48 wk and 96 wk, serological response until 48 wk, and the incidence of HCC until 5 years were not significantly different in patients with hepatic steatosis than in those without the condition. Our finding signifies that hepatic steatosis lowers the response to antiviral therapy in patients with CHB.
Hepatic steatosis lowers the biochemical response to antiviral treatment in patients with CHB. This condition might become a hazard factor of disease progression when present in patients affected by HBV.
The significant effect of hepatic steatosis on the therapeutic response in patients with CHB should be demonstrated through larger prospective studies.