Assessment of HBV variants and novel viral and immune biomarkers in chronic hepatitis B patients with metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease
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Date
2024
Authors
Patel, Nishi H.
Lucko, Aaron
Vachon, Alicia
Doucette, Karen E.
Ramji, Alnoor
Sycuro, Laura
Patel, Trushar R.
Chadee, Kris
Raman, Maitreyi
van Marle, Guido
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Wiley
Abstract
Co-existing chronic hepatitis B virus (CHB) infection and metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) can exert complex effects on hepatic metabolism, requiring mechanistic study. CHB participants were assessed for MASLD and the impact of hepatic steatosis/metabolic syndrome (MetS) on novel viral and immunological markers. In this prospective, cohort study, untreated CHB subjects were assessed for liver disease by non-invasive tests (i.e. FibroScan, controlled attenuation parameter, CAP). Subjects were tested for cytokines and IFN-γ ELISPOT assay to HBV Surface (S) and Core (C) proteins. Standard HBV serological, exploratory biomarkers and deep sequencing of HBV S and C genes were performed. In 53 subjects (median age 45 years [SD = 10.6], 35% F, 56% Asian, 20% Black, 3% White), 94% (50) HBeAg negative, 63% genotype B/C, mean HBV DNA 3.2 log10 IU/mL (SD = 1.8), quantitative HBsAg 2.9 log10 IU/mL (SD = 1.2) and HBV pgRNA 2.1 log10 copies/mL (SD = 1.3). In enrolled subjects, the mean ALT was 41.9 U/L (SD = 24.0), FibroScan was 5.7 kPa (SD = 1.9) and CAP was 306.4 dB/m (SD = 49.0). The mean BMI was 28.2 kg/m2 (SD = 4.2), 20% (11/53) had diabetes, 35% (19/53) dyslipidaemia and 24% (13/53) hypertension. Subjects with MetS and steatosis showed lower HBV markers (p < .01), higher HBV S diversity (p = .02) and greater frequency of HBV variants associated with host-anti-viral immune escape. Pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and HBV-specific cellular responses were higher in participants with hepatic steatosis. In CHB, MASLD/hepatic steatosis was associated with HBV variants and systemic immune responses potentially impacting liver disease progression despite low-level viraemia.
Description
Open access article. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC 4.0) applies
Keywords
Biomarkers , Chronic hepatitis B , Cytokines , Metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease , T-cell response
Citation
Patel, N. H., Lucko, A., Vachon, A., Doucette, K. E., Ramji, A., Sycuro, L., Patel, T. R., Chadee, K., Raman, M., van Marle, G., Osiowy, C., & Coffin, C. S. (2024). Assessment of HBV variants and novel viral and immune biomarkers in chronic hepatitis B patients with metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease. Journal of Viral Hepatitis. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvh.13979