HIV Patients May Have an Increased Risk of Liver Fibrosis

People living with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH) who do not have viral hepatitis may be at an increased risk of liver fibrosis, according to the results of a recent study.

A cross-sectional cohort study was conducted to compare the prevalence of liver fibrosis in individuals with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and those without. Included were 342 individuals with HIV and 2190 individuals as a control group. All participants were aged from 50 to 70 years.

Elevated liver stiffness measurements (LSM) were obtained by transient elastography. Significant liver fibrosis was defined in this study as 7.6 kPa.

When compared to the uninfected control population (7%), elevated LSM was higher in PWH (12%).

Further, HIV infection was independently associated with elevated LSM. However, HIV (adjusted odds ratio: 1.84), higher age (aOR per decade: 3.34), alanine aminotransferase (ALT; aOR per 10 IU/L: 1.25), body mass index (BMI; per 1kg/m2 aOR: 1.17), and previous exposure to didanosine (aOR per year: 2.26) were associated with an elevated LSM.

—Leigh Precopio

Reference:

Kirkegaard-Klitbo DM, Bendtsen F, Lundgren J, et al. Increased prevalence of liver fibrosis in people living with human immunodeficiency virus without viral hepatitis compared to population controls. J Infect Dis. 2021; 224(3): 443-452. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiaa763