Serum vitamin D₃ does not correlate with liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between serum vitamin D3 levels and liver fibrosis or inflammation in treatment-naive Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC).


METHODS
From July 2010 to June 2011, we enrolled 122 CHC patients and 11 healthy controls from Dingxi city, Gansu Province, China. The patients were infected with Hepatitis C virus (HCV) during blood cell re-transfusion following plasma donation in 1992-1995, and had never received antiviral treatment. At present, all the patients except two underwent liver biopsy with ultrasound guidance. The Scheuer Scoring System was used to evaluate hepatic inflammation and the Metavir Scoring System was used to evaluate hepatic fibrosis. Twelve-hour overnight fasting blood samples were collected in the morning of the day of biopsy. Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, cholinesterase, prothrombin activity, albumin, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, hemoglobin, calcium and phosphorus were determined. Serum HCV RNA levels were measured by real-time PCR. Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D3] and 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [24,25(OH)2D3] were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.


RESULTS
Serum levels of 25(OH)D3 but not 24,25(OH)2D3 were significantly lower in CHC patients than in control subjects. Serum 25(OH)D3 levels did not correlate with liver fibrosis, inflammation, patient age, or levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, prothrombin activity, cholinesterase or HCV RNA. However, serum 25(OH)D3 levels did correlate with serum 24,25(OH)2D3 levels. Serum 25(OH)D3 and 24,25(OH)2D3 levels, and the 25(OH)D3/24,25(OH)2D3 ratio, have no difference among the fibrosis stages or inflammation grades.


CONCLUSIONS
We found that serum levels of 25(OH)D3 and its degradation metabolite 24,25(OH)2D3 did not correlate with liver fibrosis in treatment-naive Chinese patient with CHC.
Yan Ren, Mei Liu, Jing Zhao, Yu Chen, Jun-Feng Li, Jing-Yun Zhang, Zhong-Ping Duan, Su-Jun Zheng, Artificial Liver Center, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
Yan
Y
Ren
Yan Ren, Mei Liu, Jing Zhao, Yu Chen, Jun-Feng Li, Jing-Yun Zhang, Zhong-Ping Duan, Su-Jun Zheng, Artificial Liver Center, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
Mei
M
Liu
Yan Ren, Mei Liu, Jing Zhao, Yu Chen, Jun-Feng Li, Jing-Yun Zhang, Zhong-Ping Duan, Su-Jun Zheng, Artificial Liver Center, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
Jing
J
Zhao
Yan Ren, Mei Liu, Jing Zhao, Yu Chen, Jun-Feng Li, Jing-Yun Zhang, Zhong-Ping Duan, Su-Jun Zheng, Artificial Liver Center, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
Feng
F
Ren
Yan Ren, Mei Liu, Jing Zhao, Yu Chen, Jun-Feng Li, Jing-Yun Zhang, Zhong-Ping Duan, Su-Jun Zheng, Artificial Liver Center, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
Yu
Y
Chen
Yan Ren, Mei Liu, Jing Zhao, Yu Chen, Jun-Feng Li, Jing-Yun Zhang, Zhong-Ping Duan, Su-Jun Zheng, Artificial Liver Center, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
Jun-Feng
JF
Li
Yan Ren, Mei Liu, Jing Zhao, Yu Chen, Jun-Feng Li, Jing-Yun Zhang, Zhong-Ping Duan, Su-Jun Zheng, Artificial Liver Center, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
Jing-Yun
JY
Zhang
Yan Ren, Mei Liu, Jing Zhao, Yu Chen, Jun-Feng Li, Jing-Yun Zhang, Zhong-Ping Duan, Su-Jun Zheng, Artificial Liver Center, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
Feng
F
Qu
Yan Ren, Mei Liu, Jing Zhao, Yu Chen, Jun-Feng Li, Jing-Yun Zhang, Zhong-Ping Duan, Su-Jun Zheng, Artificial Liver Center, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
Jin-Lan
JL
Zhang
Yan Ren, Mei Liu, Jing Zhao, Yu Chen, Jun-Feng Li, Jing-Yun Zhang, Zhong-Ping Duan, Su-Jun Zheng, Artificial Liver Center, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
Zhong-Ping
ZP
Duan
Yan Ren, Mei Liu, Jing Zhao, Yu Chen, Jun-Feng Li, Jing-Yun Zhang, Zhong-Ping Duan, Su-Jun Zheng, Artificial Liver Center, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
Su-Jun
SJ
Zheng
D015650:24,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D 3 / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
D015415:Biomarkers; C030711:24-hydroxyvitamin D3; D015650:24,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D 3
24,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3; 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3; Fibrosis; Hepatitis C virus; Inflammation