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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase homozygosis and low-density lipoproteins in patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C

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Summary.  Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase status, homocysteine and lipoproteins levels have been associated with severity of disease and both rapid and sustained virological response (SVR) in patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C (CHC). We aimed to assess the association of homocysteine and MTHFR status with serum cholesterol levels and their potential links to both histological findings and virological response, in patients with genotype 1 hepatitis C virus (HCV). A total of 119 consecutive patients were evaluated by biopsy and metabolic measurements. A total of 103 healthy blood donors were used as controls. Serum homocysteine and MTHFR C677T mutation were also evaluated. All patients underwent antiviral therapy with PEG-IFN alfa-2a plus ribavirin. HCV-RNA was assessed at baseline, week 4, week 12, at the end of therapy and after 6 months of follow-up. Mean serum values of homocysteine were higher in patients than in controls (15.8 ± 5.8 μg/L vs 12.5 ± 5.8 μg/L; P < 0.001), with a similar CC, CT and TT MTHFR distribution (23.6%, 48.7% and 27.7% in G1-CHC vs 34%, 48.5% and 17.5% in controls; P = 0.14). In genotype 1, HCV MTHFR TT homozygosis was independently linked to higher LDL (OR 1.016; CI 1.002–1.031; P = 0.03), but not to homocysteine. No association were found between homocysteine, MTHFR and histological features or both rapid virological response (RVR) and SVR. Low cholesterol (OR 0.988, 95%CI 0.975–0.999, P = 0.04) was independently linked to severe fibrosis, and high LDL was the only independent positive predictors of both RVR and SVR (OR 1.036; 95%CI 1.017–1.055; P < 0.001; and OR 1.016; 95%CI 1.001–1.031; P = 0.04 respectively). In patients with genotype 1 hepatitis C, showing higher homocysteine serum levels than controls, MTHFR C677T homozygosis, via modulating cholesterol levels, could interfere with liver fibrosis and response to antiviral therapy.