A recent study has revealed that chronic hepatitis B infection compromises bone health by increasing bone resorption, regardless of the use of antiretroviral drugs.
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| Photo: Hepatitis B Virus | InStyleHealth |
Researchers did a cross-sectional examination of 81
adult patients with chronic hepatitis B infection. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry
was used to measure bone mineral density, while biochemical analyses were also
performed to quantify levels of markers such as osteocalcin, parathyroid
hormone, and urinary deoxypyridinoline, among others.
Participants were divided into three groups of 27, where
each, according to treatment approach. Group 1 included inactive virus carriers
without medication, group 2 had patients treated with tenofovir, while those on
lamivudine/entecavir medication fell under group 3. All the groups were
generally comparable, with the exception of the viral load, that which was significantly
increased in group 1 vs 2 and 3.
Based on DXA, osteopenia at the lumbar spine occurred
more frequently in the tenofovir group as opposed to groups 1 and 3. However,
bone mineral density Z scores at the lumbar spine did not differ across the
three groups. Same was true for Z scores at the total hip and femoral neck.
Regarding serum and urinary markers, levels of
osteocalcin and parathyroid hormone were significantly different across groups,
with a tendency to be higher in group 2. Though, all values remained within the
normal limits.
Remarkably, while concentrations of urinary
deoxypyridinoline, a marker for bone resorption, did not differ among groups,
all levels were above the normal limit, suggesting elevated resorptive activity
in patient with chronic hepatitis B.
According to researchers that studies about bone metabolism
and how it can be affected by factors such as chronic infections and
medications continue to evolve and pose a major challenge to better understand
the physiology of bone loss. Thus, further research is warranted to validate
the current findings.
Source: Sci Rep 2021;11:10162