Effects of simvastatin in patients with viral chronic hepatitis C

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.

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.

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.

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.