title: Vitamin D supplementation improves response to antiviral treatment for recurrent hepatitis C.
abstract: In immune-competent patients, higher vitamin D levels predicted sustained viral response (SVR) following interferon (INF) and ribavirin therapy for chronic hepatitis C. This study aimed to verify the influence of vitamin D serum levels and/or vitamin D supplementation in predicting SVR rates for recurrent hepatitis C (RHC). Forty-two consecutive patients were treated for RHC with combination therapy with INF-α and ribavirin for 48 weeks. Vitamin D serum levels were measured in all patients before antiviral therapy. In 15 patients oral vitamin D3 supplementation was administered to avoid further bone loss. SVR was observed in 13 patients; it was achieved in 1/10 severely vitamin D deficient (≤ 10 ng/ml) patients, in 6/20 deficient (>10 and ≤ 20 ng/ml) and in 6/12 with near normal (> 20 ng/ml) 25-OH vitamin D serum levels (P < 0.05). Cholecalciferol supplementation, in the presence of a normal or near normal baseline vitamin D concentration, (improvement of chi-square P < 0.05, odds ratio 2.22) and possessing a genotype other than 1 (improvement of chi-square P < 0.05, odds ratio 3.383) were the only variables independently associated to SVR. In conclusion, vitamin D deficiency predicts an unfavourable response to antiviral treatment of RHC. Vitamin D supplementation improves the probability of achieving a SVR following antiviral treatment.
authors.affiliation: Medical Liver Transplantation Unit, Internal Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bitetto
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fabris
authors.forename: Ezio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fornasiere
authors.forename: Corrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pipan
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fumolo
authors.forename: Annarosa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cussigh
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bignulin
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cmet
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fontanini
authors.forename: Edmondo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Falleti
authors.forename: Romina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martinella
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pirisi
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Toniutto
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002762:Cholecalciferol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014807:Vitamin D; D002762:Cholecalciferol; D012254:Ribavirin