BACKGROUND/AIMS: A geranyl-geranylated protein is synthesized during chronic hepatitis C virus replication; statins can inhibit this synthesis. We aimed at studying the effects of administrating simvastatin to patients who finished the standard antiviral therapy and who did not have hepatic cytolysis. METHODOLOGY: A total of 101 patients were divided into 3 groups. Those without liver cytolysis were divided as follows: In group A1 patients were treated with simvastatin for 3 months and in group A2 the patients were non-treated controls. Those patients with hepatic cytolysis were placed in group B and treated for 3 months with simvastatin. The patients were biologically monitored monthly and the initial viremia was compared with the final one. The results were then statistically analysed. RESULTS: Significant changes of viremia were not observed in the patients from groups A1 and A2. In 24 patients in group B (58.54%) the viremia was significantly reduced (p=0.018), and in 6 patients (39.02%) it increased insignificantly. After 1 and 2 months of treatment, the cholesterolemy and the serum alkaline phosphatase significantly decreased to the patients from group B. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, more than half of the patients chronically infected with the hepatitis C virus, who had hepatic cytolysis and were treated with simvastatin, showed a significant reduction in the level of viremia.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: A geranyl-geranylated protein is synthesized during chronic hepatitis C virus replication; statins can inhibit this synthesis. We aimed at studying the effects of administrating simvastatin to patients who finished the standard antiviral therapy and who did not have hepatic cytolysis. METHODOLOGY: A total of 101 patients were divided into 3 groups. Those without liver cytolysis were divided as follows: In group A1 patients were treated with simvastatin for 3 months and in group A2 the patients were non-treated controls. Those patients with hepatic cytolysis were placed in group B and treated for 3 months with simvastatin. The patients were biologically monitored monthly and the initial viremia was compared with the final one. The results were then statistically analysed. RESULTS: Significant changes of viremia were not observed in the patients from groups A1 and A2. In 24 patients in group B (58.54%) the viremia was significantly reduced (p=0.018), and in 6 patients (39.02%) it increased insignificantly. After 1 and 2 months of treatment, the cholesterolemy and the serum alkaline phosphatase significantly decreased to the patients from group B. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, more than half of the patients chronically infected with the hepatitis C virus, who had hepatic cytolysis and were treated with simvastatin, showed a significant reduction in the level of viremia.
Authors: Martin Janicko; Sylvia Drazilova; Daniel Pella; Jan Fedacko; Peter Jarcuska Journal: World J Gastroenterol Date: 2016-07-21 Impact factor: 5.742