Baseline Liver Metabolic Health in Newly Diagnosed People Living with HIV Compared with HIV-Negative Controls: Cross-Sectional Findings from the Prospective MASHIV-TR Cohort
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is an important comorbidity in people living with HIV (PLWH), yet most data derive from individuals receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). In the baseline cross-sectional analysis of the prospective multicentre MASHIV-TR cohort (nine centres, Türkiye), we compared 250 newly diagnosed, ART-naïve PLWH and 161 HIV-negative controls. Hepatic steatosis and liver stiffness were assessed by vibration-controlled transient elastography; MASLD was defined as hepatic steatosis, indicated by CAP ≥ 248 dB/m together with at least one cardiometabolic risk factor. MASLD prevalence was similar in the two groups (25.2% vs. 30.4%; p = 0.245), and HIV status was not independently associated with CAP in PLWH (+10.69 dB/m per 50 mg/dL) or in controls (+9.26 dB/m), whereas CD4 and CD8 counts, the CD4/CD8 ratio and HIV-RNA were not associated with the liver outcome. Before ART, hepatic steatosis tracked metabolic rather than HIV-specific markers.
Authors
- İsmail Yıldız (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5505-838X)
- Damla Ertürk (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2163-5844)
- Behice Kurtaran (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2081-4664)
- Müge Toygar Deniz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6946-2727)
- Yeliz Çiçek (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4061-2322)
- Ahmet Çağkan İnkaya (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7943-8715)
- Hüsnü Pullukçu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6363-2708)
- Meli̇ha Çağla Sönmezer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6529-5282)
- Funda Şimşek (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7387-5057)
- Aslıhan Candevir (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9340-516X)
- Çiğdem Mermutluoğlu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1836-6281)
- Yeşim Taşova (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5728-058X)
- Tuba Damar Çakırca³²
- Sıla Akhan
- Yaşar Bayındır
- Ayşe Özlem Mete
- Dilara İnan
- Mustafa Kemal Çelen
- İlkay Karaoğlan
- Nursel Çalık Başaran
Institutions
- Dicle University (TR)
- Akdeniz University (TR)
- Istanbul Medipol University (TR)
- Ege University (TR)
- Güven Hospital (TR)
- Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi (TR)
- Institute for Medical Informatics and Biostatistics (CH)
- Acıbadem Adana Hospital (TR)
- Kocaeli Üniversitesi (TR)
- Cukurova University (TR)
- Gaziantep University (TR)
- Hacettepe University (TR)
- Harran University (TR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- International Journal of Molecular Sciences
- Published
- 2026-09-28
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27198672
- Primary Topic
- HIV-related health complications and treatments
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00