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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

"Liver-on-a-Chip" Cultures of Primary Hepatocytes and Kupffer Cells for Hepatitis B Virus Infection
Published on: February 19, 2019
Hepatic steatosis is uncommon in children with chronic hepatitis B
Antonietta Giannattasio1, Francesco Cirillo, Vito Terlizzi
1Department of Pediatrics, University Federico II, Naples, Italy.
Background:
Differently from chronic hepatitis C, factors associated with hepatic steatosis in children with chronic hepatitis B are not clearly elucidated.
Objective:
Aim of this study was to investigate prevalence of steatosis at liver biopsy in HBV-infected children.
Study Design:
A retrospective study including 56 children with chronic hepatitis B undergoing liver biopsy at median age of 8.1 years. In all patients demographic, anthropometric, clinical and laboratory data were evaluated at the time of liver biopsy.
Results:
Steatosis was present in 2 (4%) children. BMI was significantly higher in 2 patients with steatosis compared with those without steatosis. Demographic, biochemical and virological parameters did not differ between children with and those without steatosis.
Conclusions:
Liver steatosis in HBV-infected children seems to be related to obesity and metabolic factors rather than to viral factors. Detection of steatosis in non-obese children with HBV infection requires a careful investigation to rule out other causes of fatty liver.
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