Background/aims: The present study was designed to investigate the effect of hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein expression on the blood level of lipids, lipoproteins and apolipoprotein in various forms of liver diseases. At the same time, effect of HCV core protein was also studied on the level of antioxidants in these patient groups. The aim behind this study was to explore the possibility of HCV core induced lipid changes and ensuing oxidative liver damage in these liver diseases.
Methodology: We studied a total number of 130 patients including 50 patients with acute viral hepatitis (AVH), 30 with chronic hepatitis (CH), 30 with hepatic cirrhosis and 20 patients with fulminant hepatic failure (FHF). Sera from all these patients were analyzed for hepatitis viral markers and HCV core protein using EIA assays. Sera/plasma from them were simultaneously analyzed for total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), apolipoprotein A-1 and B, and also for antioxidants.
Results: Analysis of data demonstrated the presence of viral hepatitis B, C and E infections in these cases. Hepatitis A and D infections were absent in all the patients. When data on lipid and lipoprotein were analyzed in relation to HCV core expression, we could not observe a significant change in the serum level of total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, HDL, apolipoprotein A-1 and apoprotein B in core positive patients as compared to core negative cases. However, lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] level was significantly reduced in core positive patients as compared to core negative cases. Furthermore, analysis of Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Total antioxidant (TAO) and Uric Acid in these patients demonstrated only a minor change in SOD and TAO levels in relation to HCV core, though at the same time, Uric Acid was found raised in all the groups.
Conclusions: These observations clearly indicate that core expression does not bring a significant change in serum level of lipids, lipoprotein and apoproteins. Similarly, HCV core expression also does not show a major change in SOD and TAO levels suggesting an insignificant impact of core on oxidative stress during liver diseases.