Abstract
Objective:Serum Vitamin-D plays pivotal role in inflammatory and infectious diseases; among them liver infections are more distinct. This study was aimed to determine Vitamin-D status in HCV-infected patients and healthy controls in Faisalabad, Pakistan.Methods:We performed randomized cross-sectional study of 74 individuals from 20th August, 2017 to 20th February 2018 at The University of Faisalabad and Dar us Shifa Clinic, Faisalabad. Fifty-one patients were hepatitis C RNA-PCR positive (22 compensated cirrhotic and 29 decompensated cirrhotic patients). In addition, 23 subjects without liver disease were recruited as healthy control. HCV RNA–PCR was performed by ARTUS ® HCV QS-RGQ V1. Vitamin-D levels were measured by chemiluminescence. SPSS version 20 was used for statistical analysis.Results:The mean level of Vitamin-D was significantly lower in HCV patients in compensated and decompensated cirrhotic patients (26.85 ng/mL & 20.65 ng/mL respectively) as compared to healthy controls (30.41 ng/mL). This study showed sub optimal level of Vitamin-D in 76.5% of HCV patients. Vitamin-D insufficiency (21-29 ng/mL) as prevalent among healthy individuals (47.8%) as well as in HCV patients (39.2%) (P < 0.001). In addition, Vitamin-D levels showed inverse relationship with more severe conditions of liver disease as 55.2% of decompensated cirrhosis patients were sufferer of Vitamin-D deficiency as compared to 13.6% deficiency of Vitamin-D in compensated cirrhotic group (P <0.0001).Conclusion:Suboptimal levels of Vitamin-D (deficiency or insufficiency) are prevalent in patients having hepatitis C infection as compared to healthy controls. Deficiency of Vitamin-D was directly associated with severity of disease.
Highlights
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a significant health problem, which may be life threatening due to its severe complications
Anti-HCV titers, subjects were classified into control healthy subjects (n=23), and hepatitis C patients (n=51)
HCV group was categorized in two subgroups compensated cirrhosis (n=22) and decompensated cirrhosis (n=29) as shown in Table-I
Summary
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a significant health problem, which may be life threatening due to its severe complications. HCV accounts for over 700,000 deaths each year with more than 170 million people infected.[1] In Pakistan, HCV prevalence is high and plays a major role in liver disease burden. It is an epidemic of mega proportions-one in every 20 is infected with HCV in Pakistan. Vitamin-D serum concentrations inversely associate with the severity of liver damage and the advancement of liver fibrosis or cirrhosis. There are various reports which show a significant association of 25-hydroxy Vitamin-D levels in the serum and hepatitis C.3
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