Comparison of the Serum Cholesterol, Insulin Resistance and Markers of Metabolic Syndrome Based on Hepatitis C Virus RNA / 農村醫學 地域保健

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: We compared the difference of lipid, insulin resistance and metabolic markers based on HCV RNA in Korean adults. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 222 subjects visited the health promotion center of Pusan national university hospital from 2004 to 2007. Subjects were anti-HCV antibody positive and were performed RT-PCR for HCV RNA. The HCV RNA (+) group were 85 subjects, HCV RNA (−) control group were 115 subjects, and the HCV RNA (−) but past positive group were 22 subjects. We performed anthropometry, anti-HCV, RT-PCR, plasma concentrations of insulin, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride. RESULTS: BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, triglyceride, HDL cholesterol, insulin resistance such as HOMA-IR and QUICKI were not significantly different between HCV RNA positive and negative groups. The serum total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol level were significantly lower in the HCV RNA positive group than in the negative group (186.24±37.63 vs 197.22±37.23 mg/dl, p=0.041, 111.66±34.06 vs 121.38±35.50 mg/dl, p=0.042). After adjusting age and sex, high total cholesterol (≥ 200mg/dl) (adjusted OR=0.51, 95%CI 0.28-0.94, p=0.03) and high LDL cholesterol (≥ 130mg/dl) (adjusted OR=0.46, 95%CI 0.24~0.87, p=0.02) were inversely associated with being HCV RNA positive (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The serum total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol level were significantly lower in HCV RNA (+) group than in HCV RNA (−) group, but not in HCV RNA (−) but past positive group. Prospective cohort studies are needed to clarify the relationship between HCV RNA and metabolic markers.