title: 25-Hydroxy vitamin D suppresses hepatitis C virus replication and contributes to rapid virological response of treatment efficacy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  25-Hydroxy vitamin D (Vit D) plays a role in treatment outcomes in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We aimed to clarify whether HCV replication is inhibited by Vit D in HCV replicon cells. Clinical implication was assessed for rapid virological response (RVR) and sustained virological response (SVR) among those patients receiving antiviral therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cell survival and viral loads were observed in Con1 (genotype 1b) and J6/JFH (genotype 2a) cells treated with different doses of Vit D. Three groups of patients with different treatment responses were recruited to assess their Vit D levels: group A, RVR-/SVR-; group B, RVR+/SVR-; and group C, RVR+/SVR+.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The viral load of Con1 cells decreased by 69%, 80%, and 86% following treatment with 1 μM, 5 μM, and 10 μM Vit D, respectively (P < 0.0001). In J6/JFH cells, it decreased by 12%, 55%, and 80.5% following treatment with 1 μM, 5 μM, and 10 μM Vit D, respectively (P < 0.0001). There was a significant increase of Vit D between chronic hepatitis C groups, ranging from 4.4 ± 5.6 ng/mL in group A (n = 44), to 17.2 ± 11.6 ng/mL in group B (n = 44), and 32.5 ± 37.5 ng/mL of group C (n = 44) (P < 0.001). Advanced fibrosis (odds ratio = 0.13, 95% confidence interval = 0.04-0.41, P < 0.001) and Vit D deficiency (<10 ng/mL) (odds ratio = 0.11, 95% confidence interval = 0.03-0.43, P = 0.001) were predictive of SVR in the multivariate regression analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vitamin D decreases HCV replication and also contributes to early treatment viral kinetics.
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Faculty of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jee-Fu
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Faculty of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chung-Feng
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Faculty of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Lun
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Faculty of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Yen
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Meng-Hsuan
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ching-I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hua-Ling
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shu-Chi
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Faculty of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Zu-Yau
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Faculty of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shinn-Chern
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Faculty of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Lung
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Faculty of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wan-Long
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Chuang
keywords: 25-hydroxy vitamin D; hepatitis C virus; replicon; viral kinetics