The Interplay between Zinc, Vitamin D and, IL-17 in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Liver Disease

Abstract EN

Objectives.

To assess zinc (Zn) and vitamin D (Vit.

D) status in chronic Hepatitis C virus- (HCV) infected patients and their relationship to interleukin- (IL-) 17 and disease severity and then investigate whether Zn and Vit.

D3 modulate IL-17 expression in chronic HCV patients.

Methods.

Seventy patients and fifty healthy subjects were investigated.

Serum levels of Zn, Vit.

D, and IL-17 were assessed in the patients group and subgroups.

Patients lymphocytes were activated in vitro in the presence or absence of Zn or Vit.

D3 and then intracellular IL-17 production was assessed using flow cytometry.

Results.

Zn and Vit.

D were significantly decreased in HCV patients.

Increasing disease severity leads to more reduction in Zn level opposed by increasing IL-17 level.

Zn potently reduced IL-17 production in a dose-related fashion; however it did not exert any toxic effects.

Although Vit.

D apparently increases IL17 expression, it is unclear whether it is due to its toxic effect on cell count or lack of definite association between Vit.

D and both IL-17 and disease severity.

Conclusions.

This study demonstrates that Zn modulates IL-17 expression and provides a rationale for evaluating this compound as a supplementary agent in the treatment of chronic HCV.