The impact of pegylated interferon and ribavirin combination treatment on lipid metabolism and insulin resistance in chronic hepatitis C patients

• Published in: Clinical and molecular hepatology Vol. 20; no. 1; pp. 38 - 46
• Main Authors: Jung, Hee Jae, Kim, Young Seok, Kim, Sang Gyune, Lee, Yun Nah, Jeong, Soung Won, Jang, Jae Young, Lee, Sae Hwan, Kim, Hong Soo, Kim, Boo Sung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Association for the Study of the Liver 01.03.2014; The Korean Association for the Study of the Liver; 대한간학회
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Antiviral Agents - pharmacology; Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; Antiviral drugs; Body mass index; Cholesterol - blood; Chronic hepatitis C; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Genotype; Hepacivirus - genetics; Hepatitis C; Hepatitis C, Chronic - drug therapy; High density lipoprotein; Humans; Insulin Resistance; Interferon-alpha - pharmacology; Interferon-alpha - therapeutic use; Lipid metabolism; Lipid Metabolism - drug effects; Male; Middle Aged; Original; Polyethylene Glycols - pharmacology; Polyethylene Glycols - therapeutic use; Recombinant Proteins - pharmacology; Recombinant Proteins - therapeutic use; Ribavirin - therapeutic use; Treatment Outcome; Triglycerides - blood; 내과학; Insulin resistance; Chronic hepatitis C; Lipid metabolism
• ISSN: 2287-2728; 2287-285X; 2287-285X
• DOI: 10.3350/cmh.2014.20.1.38

Lipid profile and insulin resistance (IR) are associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and may predict the chronic hepatitis C (CHC) treatment response. The aim of this study was to determine the association between CHC treatment response and lipid profile and IR change during treatment. In total, 203 CHC patients were reviewed retrospectively between January 2005 and December 2011 at Soon Chun Hyang University Hospital. The lipid profile, homeostasis model for assessment (HOMA) of IR (HOMA-IR), and HOMA of β cells (HOMA-β) were evaluated before interferon plus ribavirin therapy (BTx), at the end of treatment (DTx), and 24 weeks after the end of treatment (ATx). A sustained virologic response (SVR) was achieved by 81% of all patients (49/60), 60% (n=36) of whom possessed genotype 1, with the remainder being non-genotype-1 (40%, n=24). Apart from age, which was significantly higher in the non-SVR group (SVR, 48.0 ± 11.2 years, mean ± SD; non-SVR, 56.6 ± 9.9 years; P<0.01), there were no significant differences in the baseline characteristics between the SVR and non-SVR groups. In the SVR group, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) had significantly changed at DTx and ATx compared to BTx. In addition, HOMA-IR and HOMA-β were significantly changed at DTx in the SVR group. Among those with a high baseline insulin resistance (HOMA-IR >2.5), HOMA-IR was significantly changed at DTx in the SVR group. LDL-C appears to be associated with HCV treatment in SVR patients. Furthermore, eradication of HCV may improve whole-body IR and insulin hypersecretion, as well as high baseline insulin resistance (HOMA-IR >2.5).