Vitamin D may be helpful in treatment
greyhackles
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/711902
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 �g/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 < .01), and fibrosis (Metavir scores > 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 na�ve
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.
==============================================================
I hope this is investigated further...
Cheers
/greyhackles
TX-012
Cactus Jammies
articles that state that chronic liver issues deplete vitamin D, so using
inverse logic, in a linear sense, vitamin D may be depleted due to an
autoimmune response that requires more than everyday amounts of vitamin D.
(?) I take 2000 IU of Vitamin D a day. It's cheap. Don't buy the boutique
variety, go for the low end house brands.
cactus jammies
"TX-012" <with...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:73691138-4f7b-49c6...@13g2000prl.googlegroups.com...
TX-012
wrote:
> If you a simple Google of Liver Vitamin D, you will find a number of
> articles that state that chronic liver issues deplete vitamin D, so using
> inverse logic, in a linear sense, vitamin D may be depleted due to an
> autoimmune response that requires more than everyday amounts of vitamin D.
> (?) I take 2000 IU of Vitamin D a day. It's cheap. Don't buy the boutique
> variety, go for the low end house brands.
>
> cactus jammies
>
>
> news:73691138-4f7b-49c6...@13g2000prl.googlegroups.com...
>
> > It's helpful in pretty much everything else, too...
Makes sure it is D3, not D2.
TX-012
Or rather, "make."
Sara
> ==============================================================http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/711902
> 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
> 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 < .01), and fibrosis (Metavir scores > 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
> 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.
> ==============================================================
>
> I hope this is investigated further...
>
> Cheers
>
> /greyhackles
need to find a nice sunny place to get comfy with a good book,
eh :) does it count if I sit under a tree or do you have
to have direct rays from the sun to get the vitamin D effects?
Sara
TX-012
Direct sunlight--while wearing little clothing--between 11AM and 1PM
is best. Supplementation almost a necessity in modern life. Good
video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ-qekFoi-o
Currently taking 5-10,000 IU/day, depending on sun exposure...
Linda Freeman
remember the Wiki saying that it is better to live below the equator,
maybe because of the sunshine when you have the Hep. Or was it the
barometric pressure? Check it out.