Abstract
BackgroundThe association between leptin and complement in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains unknown.MethodsA prospective study was conducted including 474 (250 genotype 1, 224 genotype 2) consecutive chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients who had completed an anti-HCV therapy course and undergone pre-therapy and 24-week post-therapy assessments of interferon λ3-rs12979860 and HCV RNA/genotypes, anthropometric measurements, metabolic and liver profiles, and complement component 3 (C3), C4, and leptin levels.ResultsOf the 474 patients, 395 had a sustained virological response (SVR). Pre-therapy leptin levels did not differ between patients with and without an SVR. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that sex (pre- and post-therapy, p<0.001), body mass index (BMI) (pre- and post-therapy, p<0.001), and C3 levels (pre-therapy, p = 0.027; post-therapy, p = 0.02) were independently associated with leptin levels with or without HCV infection. Pre-therapy BMI, total cholesterol (TC), C4 levels, and the rs12979860 genotype were independently associated with pre-therapy C3 levels in all patients. Post-therapy BMI, alanine aminotransferase, TC, C4 levels, white blood cell counts, and hepatic steatosis were independently associated with the post-therapy C3 levels of SVR patients. Compared with pre-therapy levels, SVR patients showed higher 24-week post-therapy C4 (20.32+/-7.30 vs. 21.55+/-7.07 mg/dL, p<0.001) and TC (171.68+/-32.67 vs. 186.97+/-36.09 mg/dL, p<0.001) levels; however, leptin and C3 levels remained unchanged after therapy in patients with and without an SVR.ConclusionsLeptin and C3 may maintain immune and metabolic homeostasis through association with C4 and TC. Positive alterations in C4 and TC levels reflect viral clearance after therapy in CHC patients.
Highlights
Hepatitis C virus (HCV), a human pathogen responsible for acute and chronic liver disease, has variants classified into 7 major genotypes and infects an estimated 170 million individuals worldwide [1]
Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that sex, body mass index (BMI), and component 3 (C3) levels were independently associated with leptin levels with or without HCV infection
The univariate analyses revealed that sex, pre-therapy BMI, C3 levels, and hepatic steatosis were associated with pretherapy leptin levels, whereas the multivariate analysis showed that sex, pre-therapy BMI, and C3 levels were independently associated with the pre-therapy leptin levels
Summary
Hepatitis C virus (HCV), a human pathogen responsible for acute and chronic liver disease, has variants classified into 7 major genotypes and infects an estimated 170 million individuals worldwide [1]. It affects insulin signaling, and much of its life cycle is closely associated with lipid metabolism [2]. Adipose tissue has emerged as an important endocrine organ that exerts vital endocrine and immune functions via adipokines [5]. Because adipose tissues and the liver are functionally linked, elucidating the relationship between adipokine alterations and HCV infection has the potential to reveal the basis of HCV-associated cardiometabolic complications and probe the therapeutic targets. The association between leptin and complement in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains unknown
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