Fw: NATAP: Fatty Liver Caused by Triglycerides in HIV+

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Another reason to keep your triglycerides in the normal range

Predictors of severe hepatic steatosis using abdominal ultrasound in HIV-infected patients - (12/30/08)HIV Medicine Jan 2009"Mean values of BMI, glucose, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides, as well as the prevalence of elevated alcohol consumption, diabetes mellitus and lipohypertrophy, were significantly increased in patients with HS (hepatic steatosis aka fatty liver) compared with controls. Interestingly, plasma viral load levels were significantly higher in patients with HS (hepatic steatosis [fatty liver]) than in control..."  Severe HS was diagnosed in 108 (13%) of patients who underwent USHepatic steatosis (HS) is a manifestation of excessive accumulation of triglycerides in the liver. When it is accompanied by inflammation and fibrosis, there is an increased risk of progression to severe liver disease [1]. HS often accounts for unexplained liver enzyme elevations in persons with no predisposing liver conditions [2]. The prevalence of HS depends on the study population and the method used to make the diagnosis. In the general population, the prevalence of HS is 16-29% using ultrasonography (US) [3-5], 31-34% using proton magnetic resonance [6,7] and 15-39% using liver biopsy [8-10]. HS can be found in up to half of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and is particularly prevalent in the sub-set of individuals infected with HCV genotype 3 [11,12]. In patients with HIV infection, the prevalence of HS ranges between 3 and 57% [13,14]; HS seems to be more common (40-69%) [15-18] and more severe [19] in HIV-HCV co-infected patients. Classical risk factors for HS are linked to the host, such as alcohol abuse and metabolic abnormalities associated with insulin resistance (obesity, diabetes, dyslipidaemia) [20]. In patients co-infected with HIV and HCV, HS has been associated with higher serum HCV load and/or HCV genotype 3 as well as the use of some antiretroviral (ARV) agents [17,21,22] such as nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) (through mitochondrial toxicity) and protease inhibitors (which may induce insulin resistance).