A new study in Hepatology suggests that maintaining a high level of serum vitamin A may help treat hepatitis C.
Pierluigi Toniutto from Department of Medical Sciences Clinical and Experimental, Internal Medicine, Medical Liver Transplantation Unit, University of Udine in Italy and colleagues found vitamin A levels were much lower in hepatitis C virus carriers, compared to that in those without the viral infection.
Researchers found median serum vitamin A in hepatitis C virus positive patients were 256 ng/mL, compared to 742 ng/mL in healthy individuals.
The study report says that vitamin A modulates the expression of type 1 interferon receptor which enhances the antireplication effect of interferon on hepatitis C virus. This explains in part why patients with lower vitamin A are more likely to be nonresponsive to treatment.
However, vitamin A deficiency may not be a cause for the non-responsiveness of the hepatitis C treatment, but a result from the infection. More research is needed to clarify this confusion.
Vitamin A is found in sweet potato, carrots, spinach, kale, collard greens, turnip greens, Swiss chard, winter squash, mustard greens, and romaine lettuce.
