title: Is there an association between vitamin D and liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C?
abstract: - Vitamin D is known for its immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic properties, which are quite relevant in the pathogenesis and treatment of many causes of chronic liver disease.
  
  
  
  - This study aimed to evaluate the association between serum vitamin D levels and the histopathological findings in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection.
  
  
  
  - Cross-sectional study composed of patients with chronic hepatitis C. All patients underwent vitamin D 25 dosage and anthropometric data analysis. Liver biopsy was performed in a maximum 36-month period before inclusion in the study.
  
  
  
  - Of the 74 patients included in the study, 45 (60.8%) were women, mean age was 57.03±9.24 years, and 63 (85.1%) were white. No association was observed between the serum levels of vitamin D and inflammatory activity (P=0.699) nor with the degree of liver fibrosis (P=0.269).
  
  
  
  - In this study, no association was observed between vitamin D and inflammatory activity, as well as the degree of liver fibrosis, in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Hepatologia da Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Kalinca da Silva
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Hepatologia da Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), RS, Brasil.|Departamento de Nutrição da UFCSPA, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buss
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Hepatologia da Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), RS, Brasil.|Departamento de Clínica Médica da UFCSPA, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Cristiane Valle
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Tovo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D019562:Viral Load; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014807:Vitamin D