Vitamin D Serum Levels and rEceptor Genetic Polymorphisms are Associated with Hepatitis B Virus and HIV Infections and IFN-λ Levels

Abstract

Aim: Vitamin D is involved in antiviral/antitumor activities. Its associations to hepatitis B virus (HBV), HIV and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are unclear. Materials & methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 232 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients and 72 HIV-infected patients. The correlation between serum 25(OH)D₃ and 25 vitamin D receptor single nucleotide polymorphisms to disease progression and interferons were evaluated. Results: The 25(OH)D₃ was associated with HBV infection and progression. In HIV, it was linked to treatment responsiveness. In CHB, cirrhotic and HCC patients, it was associated with viral load. Fourteen single nucleotide polymorphisms were related to disease progression in HBV infection. In HCC, IFN-λ levels were associated with 25(OH)D₃ levels negatively. Conclusion: Serum vitamin D level and vitamin D receptor genetic polymorphisms are associated with CHB and HIV disease progression and IFN-λs.

Keywords: :

• disease progression
• genetic polymorphism
• hepatocellular carcinoma
• HIV
• interferons
• viral hepatitis B
• viral infection
• vitamin D

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This study is supported by Beijing Talents Project and Funding for High-level Talents in Beijing Municipal Health System (2014-3-088), and National Major Scientific Instruments and Equipments Development Project (ZDYZ2015-2). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

Our Hospital Ethics Committee has approved this study. It covered the retrospective analysis of all HBV-infected patients, HIV-infected patients and healthy controls. Patients have given a written informed consent for their information to be stored and used for research. Human experimentation guidelines of PR China were followed in the conduct of this clinical research.

Potential conflicts of interest

The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript. None of the information in this manuscript has been presented in any meeting or conference. The authors have declared no commercial or other association that might pose a conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This study is supported by Beijing Talents Project and Funding for High-level Talents in Beijing Municipal Health System (2014-3-088), and National Major Scientific Instruments and Equipments Development Project (ZDYZ2015-2). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.