Serum B12 levels predict response to treatment with interferon and ribavirin in patients with chronic HCV infection

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J Viral Hepat. 2010 Feb 19. [Epub ahead of print]Serum B12 levels predict

response to treatment with interferon and ribavirin in patients with chronic HCV

infection.Rosenberg P, Hagen K.Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute,

Stockholm, Sweden.Summary. Vitamin B12 is stored in hepatocytes and inhibits

hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA translation. The implication of B12 in the setting

of antiviral treatment is unknown. This study aims to retrospectively evaluate

the discriminative efficacy of pretreatment B12 serum levels (s-B12) on

end-of-treatment response (ETR) in patients with chronic HCV. Ninety-nine

treatment naïve HCV patients, treated with interferon and ribavirin were

studied. Serum B12 (s-B12) was analysed in samples collected before treatment

start. Pretreatment s-B12 levels were correlated to ETR using univariate

analysis. S-B12 and clinical data were evaluated in a multivariate logistic

regression model. Mean pretreatment s-B12 was 331 pm in ETR and 260 pm in

nonresponders (NR) (P = 0.012). In patients with s-B12 levels </= 360 pm, 23

(31.5%) were NR and 50 (68.5%) had ETR. In patients with s-B12> 360 pm, one

(3.8%) was NR and 25 (96.2%) had ETR (P = 0.0034). The results of the

multivariate analysis were as follows: Pretreatment s-B12> 360 vs</=360 pm: OR

28.6 CI 2.31-354, P = 0.008. Fibrosis stage 3-4 vs 0-2: OR 0.29 CI 0.074-1.12, P

= 0.068. Genotype 2/3 vs 1/4/5: OR 15.5 CI 2.87-83.9, P = 0.0012. Dose reduction

vs no dose reduction: OR 0.21, CI 0.048-0.91 P = 0.034. Standard interferon vs

pegylated-interferon: OR 0.079, CI 0.0091-0.68 P = 0.019. Age and gender were

not correlated to ETR. S-B12> 360 pm is independently correlated to ETR in HCV

patients treated with interferon and ribavirin. This suggests that B12 is

involved in suppression of viral replication during anti-HCV treatment.PMID:

20196801 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]