Vitamin D deficiency in hepatitis C virus infection: what is old? what is new?

Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2018 Jul;30(7):741-746. doi: 10.1097/MEG.0000000000001134.

Abstract

In the past few years, a growing body of clinical evidence has highlighted the risk of vitamin D deficiency in patients with chronic hepatitis C and that vitamin D levels are associated with the course of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, adverse effects, and treatment response to peginterferon/ribavirin. Recently, studies have found that vitamin D status is related to drug resistance and increased risk of infection in patients with liver cirrhosis. Vitamin D-related gene polymorphisms have been found to explain the interactions between vitamin D deficiency and HCV infection, offering a new perspective toward understanding the current problems such as the development of insulin resistance and racial differences in sustained virological response. Studies have been conducted to determine whether vitamin D supplementation as an adjuvant yields a better result compared with traditional HCV treatment. Here, we provide a brief review of the past and present knowledge of vitamin D in HCV infection.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Drug Resistance, Viral
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • Hepacivirus / drug effects
  • Hepacivirus / genetics
  • Hepacivirus / pathogenicity*
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic / blood
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic / drug therapy
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic / epidemiology*
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic / virology
  • Humans
  • Phenotype
  • Polymorphism, Genetic
  • Risk Factors
  • Sustained Virologic Response
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Vitamin D / blood
  • Vitamin D / therapeutic use
  • Vitamin D Deficiency / blood
  • Vitamin D Deficiency / drug therapy
  • Vitamin D Deficiency / epidemiology*
  • Vitamin D Deficiency / genetics

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • Biomarkers
  • Vitamin D