Evaluation of Insulin Resistance Markers for Diagnosing Moderate to Severe Hepatic Steatosis in Patients With Human Immunodeficiency Virus Using Transient Elastography.

BACKGROUND

Hepatic steatosis, commonly associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, is a growing but underdiagnosed concern in people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This study evaluates the diagnostic accuracy of insulin resistance markers (homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance, triglyceride-glucose [TyG], triglyceride-glucose-body mass index [TyG-BMI], and triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol indices) for identifying moderate to severe hepatic steatosis in people with HIV using transient elastography (FibroScan).

METHODS

We prospectively analyzed 235 people with HIV on antiretroviral therapy with suppressed viral loads (<50 RNA copies/mL). Moderate to severe hepatic steatosis was defined as a controlled attenuation parameter ≥269 dB/m. Insulin resistance markers were calculated and diagnostic performance was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curves.

RESULTS

Moderate to severe hepatic steatosis was detected in 48 patients (20.4%). These individuals had higher rates of diabetes, BMI, and waist circumference. Insulin resistance indices were significantly elevated in this group, with TyG-BMI demonstrating the highest diagnostic accuracy (area under the curve, 0.800 [95% confidence interval, .727-.873]), achieving 79.2% sensitivity and 61.3% specificity at a cutoff of 227.36.

CONCLUSIONS

Insulin resistance markers, especially TyG-BMI, may serve as practical, noninvasive tools for identifying moderate to severe hepatic steatosis in people with HIV, particularly in resource-limited settings where transient elastography is unavailable.