Effect of vitamin D therapy on interleukin-6, visfatin, and hyaluronic acid levels in chronic hepatitis C Egyptian patients

Dina Sabry,1 Mohamed AS Al-Ghussein,2 Gehan Hamdy,3 Amr Abul-Fotouh,4 Tarek Motawi,5 Amany Y El Kazaz,6 Ahmed Eldemery,7 Marwa Shaker8,9 1Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt; 2Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Gaza, State of Palestine, 3Internal Medicine Department, 4Tropical Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, 5Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt; 6Medical Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismaileya, Egypt; 7Medical Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Medicine, October 6 University, Giza, Egypt; 8Tropical Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt; 9Tropical Medicine Department, Bny Swif University, Bny Swif, Egypt Objectives: We aimed to compare serum levels of interleukin-6, visfatin, and hyaluronic acid in chronic hepatitis C Egyptian patients who received standard of care (SOC) therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) consisting of pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) and in those who received SOC with vitamin D (vit D) for 48 weeks in HCV genotype 4a subjects. Design and methods: One hundred chronic HCV patients were classified into two groups: study 50 patients received SOC therapy PEG-IFN/RBV + vit D and control 50 patients received SOC PEG-IFN/RBV without vit D. Both groups were followed up at 12 weeks, 24 weeks, and 48 weeks of treatment. Results: Results showed a significant elevation in vit D levels in the group treated with SOC and vit D compared to SOC group and a reduction in HCV RNA from the 12th week to reach zero level in the 24th week. Interleukin-6, visfatin, and hyaluronic acid levels were also reduced significantly. Alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase biomarkers were significantly reduced, indicating decreased liver injury. Conclusion: SOC PEG-IFN/RBV + vit D therapy for chronic HCV led to reduced interleukin-6, visfatin, and hyaluronic acid levels and follow up liver biochemical biomarkers as aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase indicates proper liver healing and monitoring. Keywords: hepatitis C virus, HCV 4a RNA, pegylated interferon, ribavirin, AST, AL