Hanif, H.; Khan, M.M.; Ali, M.J.; Shah, P.A.; Satiya, J.; Lau, D.T.; Aslam, A. A New Endemic of Concomitant Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Chronic Hepatitis B. Microorganisms2020, 8, 1526.
Hanif, H.; Khan, M.M.; Ali, M.J.; Shah, P.A.; Satiya, J.; Lau, D.T.; Aslam, A. A New Endemic of Concomitant Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Chronic Hepatitis B. Microorganisms 2020, 8, 1526.
Hanif, H.; Khan, M.M.; Ali, M.J.; Shah, P.A.; Satiya, J.; Lau, D.T.; Aslam, A. A New Endemic of Concomitant Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Chronic Hepatitis B. Microorganisms2020, 8, 1526.
Hanif, H.; Khan, M.M.; Ali, M.J.; Shah, P.A.; Satiya, J.; Lau, D.T.; Aslam, A. A New Endemic of Concomitant Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Chronic Hepatitis B. Microorganisms 2020, 8, 1526.
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a global public problem despite the availability of effective vaccine. In the past decades, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has surpassed HBV as the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. The prevalence of concomitant chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and NAFLD, thus, reaches endemic in geographic regions where both conditions are common. Patients with CHB and NAFLD are at increased risk of liver disease progression to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Due to complexity of the pathogenesis, accurate diagnosis of NAFLD in CHB patients can be challenging. Liver biopsy is considered the gold standard for diagnosing and determining the disease severity, but it is an invasive procedure with potential complications. There is a growing body of literatures on the application of novel noninvasive serum biomarkers and advanced radiological modalities to diagnose and evaluate NAFLD, but most have not been adequately validated especially for patients with CHB. Currently, there is no approved therapy for NAFLD though many new agents are in different phases of development. This review provides a summary of the epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis and management of the NAFLD and highlights the unmet needs in the areas of CHB and NAFLD coexistence.
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