Serum Vitamin D as a Predictor to the Response of Interferon Therapy in HCV Genotype 4
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- Category: Vol. 83, September 2015
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Serum Vitamin D as a Predictor to the Response of Interferon Therapy in HCV Genotype 4, OLFAT G. SHAKER, ESAM A. MOHAMED, GAMAL ESMAT, SAMAR A. MARZOUK and AMR A. ZAHRA
Abstract
Background and Aim: Chronic infection with Hepatitis
C Virus (HCV) is a huge problem both globally and at the level of the individual patient. We aimed to determine the incidence of vitamin D deficiency in patients with chronic hepatitis C. In addition, we evaluated associations of vitamin
D (Vit D) serum levels with the virologic response of inter-feron-Alfa based treatment in patients chronically infected with HCV in Egypt.
Subject and Methods: Blood samples were taken from 206 patients who are suffering from chronic hepatitis C disease divided into responders (n=126) and non-responders (n=80) according to their initial response to treatment with normal-ization of aminotransferases (ALT and AST) levels and clear-ance of the virus denoted by negative HCV-RNA by PCR after 6 months of receiving treatment. Also 100 blood samples from controls were taken. The following were done: History taking, general examination, liver function tests, hepatitis markers, HCV quantitation by real time PCR and quantitation of Vit.D level by ELISA.
Results: There was significant differences between re-sponders and non responders to interferon therapy of chronic hepatitis C patients before treatment as regards the mean values of Vit D (p=0.001). Stepwise multivariate logistic regression showed that Vit D (p=0.002) was found to be significant predictor for response to interferon therapy of hepatitis C patients.
Conclusion: Serum levels of Vitamin D is a significant predictor for response to interferon therapy of hepatitis C patients genotype 4.