REDUCED BONE MINERAL DENSITY IN YOUNG, NON-CIRRHOTIC PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC VIRAL HEPATITIS
GEORGEANA ȚUCULEANU 1#, ECATERINA CONSTANȚA BARBU 1,2*, MIHAI LAZĂR 1,2#, CRISTINA EMILIA CHIȚU-TIȘU 1,2, CRISTINA MIHAELA OLARIU 1,2, MIHAI BOJINCĂ 1,3, CĂTĂLIN TILIȘCAN 1,2, ȘTEFAN SORIN ARAMĂ 1,2, VICTORIA ARAMĂ 1,2#, DANIELA ADRIANA ION 1,2
1“Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
2“Prof. Dr. Matei Balș” National Institute for Infectious Diseases, Bucharest, Romania 3“Dr. I. Cantacuzino” Clinical Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
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Bone anomalies are well-known complications of advanced hepatic diseases, but a relationship with non-cirrhotic hepatopathies remains to be confirmed. In this study, we investigated young adults with viral hepatitis B or C to determine whether their condition may impact bone loss and which factors influence this phenomenon. Subjects were divided in 3 groups. Descriptive statistics were based on anthropometric, bone density and disease-related parameters (viral load, disease length, fibrosis grade and treatment history). We compared bone demineralization between each group and aimed to determine associations between anthropometric or disease-related parameters and bone density measurements. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to identify predictors for bone demineralisation. Reduced bone mineral density prevalence was of 11%, most of them males in hepatitis B group and, respectively 11%, most of them females in hepatitis C group, 5 times greater than the control group. Hepatitis C females had lower Z-scores than control females at the hip. In hepatitis B patients, age, male gender, fibrosis grade, disease length and antiviral therapies were found to play an important role in bone demineralization. In hepatitis C patients, most of the anthropometric characteristics (body mass index and female gender) had quantifiable impact on bone loss. These patients could be considered for early screening and treatment.