Combined effects of hepatitis B virus infection and elevated alanine aminotransferase levels on dyslipidemia

Abstract Objective Although elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels are associated with lipid profiles, most studies do not consider the role of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. This study investigated the combined effects of HBV infection and elevated ALT levels on the lipid profiles of Taiwanese adults. Materials/Methods A total of 7695 subjects were enrolled after an annual health examination. Dyslipidemia was defined as serum total cholesterol ≥ 200 mg/dL, serum triglyceride ≥ 150 mg/dL, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol  Results Hepatitis B surface antigen positivity (HBV[+]) and elevated ALT levels (ALT[+], ≥ 50 U/L) were observed in 13.5% and 12.2% of the subjects, respectively. Multiple logistic analysis revealed that the HBV(+) group had a significantly lower odds ratios (ORs) for hypercholesterolemia (OR, 0.8), hypertriglyceridemia (OR, 0.7), and high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (OR, 0.8); whereas, the subjects with elevated ALT levels had significantly higher ORs for all of the dyslipidemia criteria. The interaction between HBV(+) and ALT(+) had a significantly lower OR for hypertriglyceridemia (OR, 0.7). The subjects with HBV infections had a significantly lower OR for hypertriglyceridemia regardless of the ALT levels. Conclusions HBV infection and elevated ALT levels have opposite effects on dyslipidemia, whereas their combined effects result in a significantly lower OR for hypertriglyceridemia.