Renal safety is a major concern during long-term
antiviral treatment for
chronic hepatitis B (CHB). This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of
chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with CHB that had been treated with
antiviral therapy. This was a single-centre, cross-sectional study in a real-life cohort in which all patients received
antiviral treatment. Serum
creatinine-based equations from the
Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) were used to estimate the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). CKD was defined as an eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m² or a urinary
albumin to
creatinine ratio ≥ 3 mg/mmol (defined as
albuminuria). Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to determine the risk factors of CKD. A total of 1985 patients were included in the analysis from February 2015 to December 2015. The mean age and median duration of
antiviral treatment was 42.20 years and 17.05 months, respectively. The overall prevalence of CKD was 7.9% (157/1985), with 44 patients experiencing decreased renal function (eGFR less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m²) and 129 patients with
albuminuria. Patients with
cirrhosis had a higher prevalence of a decreased GFR (4.3% vs 1.6%, P<.001) and
albuminuria (11.1% vs 5.2%, P<.001) than those without
cirrhosis. In the multivariate analysis,
hypertension (Odds Ratio [OR] 4.564, P<.001),
diabetes mellitus (OR 2.688, P<.001) and
cirrhosis (OR 1.918, P<.001) were independent factors associated with the presence of CKD. CKD was a clinically significant comorbidity in patients with CHB. Special attention should be paid to cirrhotic patients and patients with the
metabolic syndrome.