HOMA2-IR May Assess Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Chronic HBV

HealthDay News — Insulin resistance assessed by homeostasis model assessment index (HOMA2-IR) correlates with the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, according to a study published in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Jung Hee Kim, from the Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea, and colleagues examined whether HOMA2-IR can stratify HCC risk in a retrospective cohort of 1696 patients with chronic HBV.

The researchers found that 1.4% of patients developed HCC. The incidence rate of HCC was higher for patients with higher vs lower HOMA2-IR values (1.7% vs 0.5% for HOMA2-IR >1.200 vs ≤1.200; P =.009). In a multivariable model adjusted for age, sex, cirrhosis, and HBV DNA levels, HOMA2-IR was a significant factor associated with HCC development (hazard ratio [HR], 3.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13 to 9.31). The correlation was attenuated after further adjustment for obesity, hypertension, and diabetes (HR, 1.93; 95% CI, 0.57 to 6.51). In patients without overt metabolic abnormalities (hypertension, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome), but not in those with overt metabolic abnormalities, HOMA2-IR was an independent factor associated with HCC.

“HOMA2-IR was associated with the risk of HCC, indicating that HOMA2-IR can be a useful tool for stratifying the risk of HCC in chronic HBV-infected patients, particularly in patients without overt metabolic abnormalities,” the authors write.

Reference

Kim JH, Sinn DH, Gwak GY, et al. Insulin resistance assessment is useful in risk stratification of hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic hepatitis B patients. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2016. doi: 10.1111/jgh.13647