hepC and vitamin D

Vitamin D Has Benefits in Chronic HCV Infection
by mikesimon, Nov 06, 2009 02:20PM
Vitamin D Has Benefits in Chronic HCV Infection

November 5, 2009 (Boston, Massachusetts) — Supplementing pegylated interferon-alfa2b and ribavirin with a daily dose of vitamin D might increase virologic response rates, according to results of a late-breaking abstract reported here at The Liver Meeting 2009, the 60th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).

"Vitamin D is a potent immunomodulator whose impact on virologic response rates of interferon-based treatment of chronic HCV [hepatitis C] is unknown," lead investigator Saif M. Abu-Mouch, MD, from the Department of Hepatology, Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, in Hadera, Israel, and colleagues note in their abstract.

"This preliminary study confirms the benefit of adding vitamin D to conventional antiviral therapy in patients with chronic HCV," Dr. Abu-Mouch told meeting attendees.

In the study, 58 patients with confirmed chronic HCV (genotype 1) were randomly assigned to peginterferon-alfa2b (1.5 µg/kg once weekly) plus ribavirin (1000 to 2000 mg/day). Thirty-one patients also received vitamin D (1000 to 4000 IU/day; serum level >32 ng/mL).

The vitamin D group had a higher mean body mass index (27 vs 24 kg/m2; P < .01), viral load (68% vs 58%; P  F2, 55% vs 18%; P < .001) than the group that did not receive vitamin D. Demographics, disease characteristics, ethnicity, baseline biochemical parameters, and adherence to treatment were similar in the 2 study groups.

A rapid virologic response was seen at week 4 in 44% of the vitamin D group and in 18% of the control group. At week 12, Dr. Abu-Mouch told Medscape Gastroenterology, 96% of the vitamin D group (26 of 27 patients) were HCV RNA-negative, as assessed by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, as was 48% of the control group (15 of 31 patients), which was a significant difference (P < .001), he said.

The combination of peginterferon and ribavirin, the standard of care for chronic HCV, achieves a sustained virologic response in 40% to 50% of naïve patients with genotype 1, the investigators explain in a meeting abstract. Vitamin D in combination with peginterferon-ribavirin "may have synergistic effects," Dr. Abu-Mouch said.

Meeting attendee Laurent Tsakiris, MD, from the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Melun in France, who was not involved in the study, told Medscape Gastroenterology that "the study is surprising and promising because vitamin D is something very easy to use and there is no toxicity."

"It's also interesting," he said, "that the group treated with vitamin D had more severe disease than the control group. I think this can be considered a strong result from a small study.

The study did not receive commercial support. Dr. Abu-Mouch and Dr. Tsakiris have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

The Liver Meeting 2009: 60th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD): Abstract LB20. Presented November 2, 2009.

See: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/711902?sssdmh=dm1.553076&src=nldne&uac=39980BG

Mike

I reposted this on this site because I know more people read here and this is the right side to post it on!!

ca

[Marcia2202]

Thanks to Mike for posting and jan for reposting this.

Vit D seems to be a really hot topic at the moment Doctors are really excited about it. Acquiring all kind of ailments can be attributed to low vit d levels. Our bodies seem to need the adequate amount in order to be strong enough to withstand all kinds of diseases, depression, stress, etc... very interesting! It only makes sense that it would also help with this ugly virus.

I believe it is important to get one's vit D levels tested. Mine were low before starting tx and I was on good dose of vit d and monitored all the way through tx and still am. My levels are back to normal, but normal doesn't seem to be the optimal. The optimal is way higher than the normal.

It takes many months to build up the level in your system. But ending up with to high vit D is not healthy either. So it is important to monitor the progress.

[Rockerforlife]

The sunshine vitamin,and its not expensive,so now i ask you ,whats wrong with certain supplements?..the truth shall be known.

[HopefulinScotland]

I live near Glasgow, which has about the lowest life expectancy in the EU. That has generally been blamed on things like drink and drug abuse, deep fried Mars Bars, and other lifestyle choices. But, a doctor recently said that a lot of it may be down to Vitamin D deficiency, as the West of Scotland gets very little sunlight. (Short winter days and lots of rain.) I've been suffering a bit from SAD since moving here and was considering Vitamin D supplementation. Now that I've read this, I am very keen to try it!

[justme53]

I live in northern MN where it's dark and dreary for 6-7 months out of the year, not to mention COLD. It takes a whole lot of coaxing to get me outside much on tx which makes matters worse. I'm hoping that the Vit D I take with my calcium will help out.

[Marcia2202]

Be sure to get vit D3 and not the inferior D2. And yes, it is best assimilated with calcium and also magnesium.

[GSDgirl]

I agree with Marcia, there are more and more studies about vit D.  One of the reasons they are saying that we don't get enough is because of all the sunscreen that gets slathered on.  I plan on having mine trested with my next blood draw even tho I take it as a supplement.

[Rockerforlife]

Pinch me,am i dreaming,are we actually discussing vitamins?

[eureka254]

*pinches rocker*

[comeagain]

Allthough its a small study I think the result 44% RVR geno 1 sounds very promising.
And for control group only 18% which I can imagen is what most geno 1 could expect with regular soc.

44% Thats remarkable figures and bare in mind the best predictor for SVR is RVR.

Having to retreat and prolong second tx my self.
And I´m not the only one who have done so.
I dare speak for most of us and say that is nothing we wish for others.

Everything that can upper the ods to get cured is worht looking in too I believe.

I was thinking about it the other day how tuff my two treatments really was.
The tuffest part of it all I think was when I didn´t know if I could fulfill treatment,
still knowing that I had to and at the same time in the back of my head
thinking  its a big chance I don´t make it to SVR anyway.

That what tx is and has been for a lot of us thats also why we get so
exited and happy when we see those three letters SVR among us!!

I salute you all hepper warriors who have done this fight whether you SVRd or not!

ca