Impact of hepatitis B virus infection on the risk of gallbladder polyps: a cohort study

Abstract

Background/Aims: We aimed to determine whether hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains an important risk factor for gallbladder polyps (GBPs) in the current context of reduced prevalence of these infections.Methods: The cohort included 392,913 asymptomatic adults who underwent abdominal ultrasonography (US).Results: The prevalence of GBP sized >= 5 mm, >= 10 mm, and overall (< 5, 5-9 and >= 10 mm) was 2.9%, 0.1%, and 12.8%, respectively. The prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb), and hepatitis C antibody (anti-HCV) positivity was 3.2%, 26.7%, and 0.1%, respectively. The GBP risk was significantly increased in HBsAg-positive individuals, with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.66 (95% confidence interval, 1.49-1.85) for GBP >= 5 mm, 2.39 (1.53-3.75) for GBP >= 10 mm, and 1.49 (1.41-1.59) for overall, whereas there was no significant association between anti-HCV positivity and GBP risk. The GBP risk did not increase significantly in individuals who tested negative for HBsAg but positive for HBcAb. Conclusions: The presence of HBsAg may be an independent risk factor for GBP development in the current context of a decreasing prevalence of HBsAg positivity. A more comprehensive evaluation of GBP during abdominal US surveillance of HBsAg-positive individuals may be necessary.