Detection of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease with Non-invasive Tools in Turkish People Living with HIV and with Apparently Normal Liver Function

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a significant cause of mortality and morbidity in people living with HIV. Objective: We aimed to investigate NAFLD presence by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods, including MRI-derived proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) and MRE, and ultrasound elastography among Turkish people living with HIV (PLWH), and identify factors correlated with fatty liver. Methods: We included 57 PLWH attending outpatient clinics on antiretroviral therapy (ART) for more than six months, without HBV/HCV co-infection, significant alcohol consumption, active opportunistic infection, previously diagnosed hepatobiliary disease, T2DM, and hyperlipidemia. We performed MRI, MRE, and US elastography on all participants. Results: The mean age of the participants (M/F, 47/10) was 41.7± 12 years. The median duration of HIV infection was 3 (0.5-19 years) years. The mean MRI-PDFF was 4.4 ± 3.8 %, and 11 had fatty liver. The mean MRE value was 2.27 ± 0.6 kPa, inflammation was present in 16, and 4 participants had values consistent with fibrosis. The mean US elastography of the study population was 4.1±2.4 kPa. The mean right and left CCA intima-media of the study population was 0.65± 0.23 mm and 0.66± 0.25 mm; 16 had increased intima-media thickness. In patients with fatty liver, a significant positive correlation was present between MRE and CCA intima-media thickness (rs=0.82, p:0.006 for MRE-left CCA; r=0.68, p=0.042 for MRE-right CCA). Conclusion: We demonstrated that even a significant proportion of PLWH individuals with normal transaminase levels have fatty liver. Future prospective trials are warranted to understand and mitigate the risk factors, course of NAFLD, and accurate non-invasive tests, predicting fibrosis in people living with HIV.