title: Vitamin D levels vary during antiviral treatment but are unable to predict treatment outcome in HCV genotype 1 infected patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Different parameters have been determined for prediction of treatment outcome in hepatitis c virus genotype 1 infected patients undergoing pegylated interferon, ribavirin combination therapy. Results on the importance of vitamin D levels are conflicting. In the present study, a comprehensive analysis of vitamin D levels before and during therapy together with single nucleotide polymorphisms involved in vitamin D metabolism in the context of other known treatment predictors has been performed.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a well characterized prospective cohort of 398 genotype 1 infected patients treated with pegylated interferon-α and ribavirin for 24-72 weeks (INDIV-2 study) 25-OH-vitamin D levels and different single nucleotide polymorphisms were analyzed together with known biochemical parameters for a correlation with virologic treatment outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fluctuations of more than 5 (10) ng/ml in 25-OH-vitamin D-levels have been observed in 66 (39) % of patients during the course of antiviral therapy and neither pretreatment nor under treatment 25-OH-vitamin D-levels were associated with treatment outcome. The DHCR7-TT-polymorphism within the 7-dehydrocholesterol-reductase showed a significant association (P = 0.031) to sustained viral response in univariate analysis. Among numerous further parameters analyzed we found that age (OR = 1.028, CI = 1.002-1.056, P = 0.035), cholesterol (OR = 0.983, CI = 0.975-0.991, P<0.001), ferritin (OR = 1.002, CI = 1.000-1.004, P = 0.033), gGT (OR = 1.467, CI = 1.073-2.006, P = 0.016) and IL28B-genotype (OR = 2.442, CI = 1.271-4.695, P = 0.007) constituted the strongest predictors of treatment response.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While 25-OH-vitamin D-levels levels show considerable variations during the long-lasting course of antiviral therapy they do not show any significant association to treatment outcome in genotype 1 infected patients.
authors: J. W. Goethe University Hospital, Medizinische Klinik 1, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors: Georgios
authors: G
authors: Grammatikos
authors: J. W. Goethe University Hospital, Medizinische Klinik 1, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Lange
authors: J. W. Goethe University Hospital, Medizinische Klinik 1, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors: Simone
authors: S
authors: Susser
authors: Uniklinik TU München, München, Germany.
authors: Susanne
authors: S
authors: Schwendy
authors: Uniklinik Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
authors: Nektarios
authors: N
authors: Dikopoulos
authors: Uniklinik Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Buggisch
authors: Uniklinik Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors: Jens
authors: J
authors: Encke
authors: Interdisziplinäres Facharztzentrum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors: Gerlinde
authors: G
authors: Teuber
authors: Uniklinik Köln, Köln, Germany.
authors: Tobias
authors: T
authors: Goeser
authors: Uniklinik Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Thimme
authors: Uniklinik Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors: Hartwig
authors: H
authors: Klinker
authors: Uniklinik Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
authors: Wulf O
authors: WO
authors: Boecher
authors: Uniklinik TU München, München, Germany.
authors: Ewert
authors: E
authors: Schulte-Frohlinde
authors: J. W. Goethe University Hospital, Medizinische Klinik 1, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors: Marissa
authors: M
authors: Penna-Martinez
authors: J. W. Goethe University Hospital, Medizinische Klinik 1, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors: Klaus
authors: K
authors: Badenhoop
authors: J. W. Goethe University Hospital, Medizinische Klinik 1, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Zeuzem
authors: Uniklinik Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Berg
authors: J. W. Goethe University Hospital, Medizinische Klinik 1, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors: Christoph
authors: C
authors: Sarrazin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D006526:Hepatitis C / 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*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014807:Vitamin D; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a