title: Vitamin D levels in Egyptian HCV patients (genotype 4) treated with pegylated interferon.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vitamin D has been shown to play an important immunomodulatory role. Deficiency of vitamin D has been recently associated to the lack of response to interferon therapy in Hepatitis C virus genotype 1 infected patients. This study aims to evaluate serum level of vitamin D and verify whether circulating vitamin D has any independent role in predicting the rates of HCV virologic response after the administration of pegylated interferon to Egyptian patients infected with genotype 4 HCV.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty patients infected with HCV genotype 4 and not co-infected with neither Hepatitis B virus nor Human Immunodeffiency Virus were recruited for the study. They were treated with ribavirin-pegylated interferon alpha 2a. Viral titer was determined at baseline, at 12 weeks and at end of treatment (48 weeks). Vitamin D levels and a biochemical profile were obtained for the patients at baseline and at end of treatment. Vitamin D control group consisting of 20 healthy patients of similar age and weight to the study group were recruited to obtain vitamin D levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vitamin D levels in HCV infected patients were significantly lower than in healthy subjects. Responders to ribavirin plus pegylated interferon alpha 2a therapy had significantly higher vitamin D levels than non-responders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vitamin D deficiency predicts an unfavorable response to interferon-based treatment of HCV.
authors: Biochemistry Department, National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute.
authors: A A
authors: AA
authors: Mohamed
authors: N A
authors: NA
authors: Sabry
authors: M M
authors: MM
authors: Abbassi
authors: W A
authors: WA
authors: Ibrahim
authors: Z A
authors: ZA
authors: Ali-Eldin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016903:Drug Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004534:Egypt; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014807:Vitamin D; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a