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Hepatitis B virus infection and risk of gallstones: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Karn Wijarnpreecha1, Charat Thongprayoon, Panadeekarn Panjawatanan
1aDepartment of Internal Medicine, Bassett Medical Center, Cooperstown, New York bDepartment of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska cDivision of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA dDepartment of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai eDivision of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Insights
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is not significantly associated with an increased risk of gallstones. This meta-analysis of nine studies found no conclusive link between HBV and gallstone disease.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology and Gastroenterology
- Epidemiology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Gallstone disease is prevalent, especially in Western countries.
- Hepatitis C virus infection is linked to increased gallstone risk.
- Limited data exist on the association between hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and gallstones.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a meta-analysis summarizing evidence on the association between HBV infection and gallstone risk.
- To evaluate the overall risk of gallstones in patients with HBV infection.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search was conducted in MEDLINE and EMBASE databases up to May 2016.
- Included studies reported risk estimates (RR, OR, HR) comparing gallstone risk in HBV-infected versus non-infected individuals.
- Pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using random-effects modeling.
Main Results:
- Nine studies met the inclusion criteria.
- No significant association was found between HBV infection and gallstone risk (pooled OR = 1.10; 95% CI, 0.91-1.33).
- Moderate statistical heterogeneity was observed (I² = 69%). Subgroup analyses showed no significant risk in cross-sectional studies (OR = 1.01) but a trend in case-control studies (OR = 1.53).
Conclusions:
- This meta-analysis did not find a significant association between hepatitis B virus infection and an increased risk of gallstones.
- Further research may be needed to clarify potential associations in specific study designs.
Background/Objectives:
Gallstone disease and its complications are common, particularly in Western populations. Recent studies have reported a significantly increased risk of gallstones among hepatitis C virus-infected patients. However, the data on patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection are still limited. This meta-analysis was carried out with the aim of summarizing all available evidence.
Patients And Methods:
A literature search was performed using MEDLINE and the EMBASE database from inception to May 2016. Studies that reported relative risks, odd ratios, or hazard ratios comparing the risk of gallstones among HBV-infected patients versus patients without HBV infection were included. Pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a random-effect, generic inverse-variance method.
Results:
Nine studies fulfilled our eligibility criteria and were included in the analysis. We found no significant association between HBV infection and the risk of gallstones, with a pooled OR of 1.10 (95% CI, 0.91-1.33). The statistical heterogeneity was moderate, with an I of 69%. Subgroup analysis was carried out. The pooled OR of cross-sectional studies was 1.01 (95% CI, 0.91-1.12; I 0%), whereas the pooled OR of case-control studies was 1.53 (95% CI, 0.85-2.74; I 80%).
Conclusion:
A significant association between HBV infection and the risk of gallstones was not observed in this study.
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