Author information
1 Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Comprehensive Alcohol Research Center, 1901 Perdido Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, LA, USA.
2 Louisiana State University Health - New Orleans, School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, 2020 Gravier Street, LEC - 3rd Floor, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, LA, USA.
3 University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, 421 Curie Boulevard, 907 Biomedical Research Building II/III, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, PA, USA.
4 Tulane University, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Department of Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences, 1440 Canal Street, Suite 2210, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
5 Louisiana State University Health - New Orleans, School of Medicine, Physiology, 1901 Perdido Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, LA, USA.
6 Louisiana State University Health - New Orleans, School of Medicine, Pharmacology, 1901 Perdido Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, LA, USA, and.
7 Louisiana State University Health - New Orleans, School of Medicine, Pulmonology, 1901 Perdido Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, LA, USA.
Abstract
AIM: This cross-sectional analysis of the New Orleans Alcohol Use in HIV (NOAH) study assesses whether current and lifetime alcohol use in people living with HIV (PLWH) are associated with greater liver disease and how hepatitis C-viral (HCV) co-infection (HIV/HCV+) modifies the association.
METHODS: Alcohol use was measured by Lifetime Drinking History (LDH), a 30-day Timeline Followback calendar, the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test, and phosphatidylethanol. Liver disease was estimated by alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), AST platelet ratio-index (APRI), fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease-fibrosis score. Associations between alcohol consumption and liver disease were estimated with multivariable logistic regression. Models were adjusted for age, sex, body-mass index, hepatitis B and HIV viral load.
RESULTS: Participants (N = 353) were majority male (69%) and black (84%) with a mean age of 48.3 ± 10 years. LDH was significantly associated with advanced liver fibrosis (FIB-4 aOR = 22.22 [1.22-403.72]) only among HIV/HCV+ participants with an LDH of 100-600 kg. HIV/HCV+ participants had a higher prevalence of intermediate and advanced liver disease markers than HIV/HCV- (P < 0.0001). Advanced markers of liver disease were most strongly associated with hazardous drinking (≥40(women)/60(men) grams/day) (APRI aOR = 15.87 (3.22-78.12); FIB-4 aOR = 6.76 (1.81-7.16)) and PEth ≥400 ng/ml (APRI aOR = 17.52 (2.55-120.54); FIB-4 aOR = 17.75 (3.30-95.630).
CONCLUSION: Results indicate a greater association of current alcohol use with liver disease than lifetime alcohol use, which varied by HCV status. These findings stress the importance of reducing alcohol use in PLWH to decrease risk of liver disease and fibrosis.