Study the Relationship Between Obesity and Hepatitis C Replication

Summary

Patients with chronic hepatitis C viral infection (HCV) and with a BMI greater than 25Kg/m2 are refractory to medical treatment. Also, HCV replication seems to be affected when modeling insulin resistance in replicon cell culture systems. PPARg -agonist (Pioglitazone) is effective in controlling liver inflammation in obese subjects with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and also improving insulin sensitivity. Therefore, we hypothesize that improving insulin resistance and /or inflammation may affect HCV replication and viral kinetics. Independently of PPARg pathways, Prednisone may increase HCV viral kinetics. .

Timeline

Start

2008-10

Primary completion

2014-02

Completion

2014-09

Publications

• Chojkier M, Elkhayat H, Sabry D, Donohue M, Buck M. Pioglitazone decreases hepatitis C viral load in overweight, treatment naive, genotype 4 infected-patients: a pilot study. PLoS One. 2012;7(3):e31516. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0031516. Epub 2012 Mar 7.

Drugs

Indications