Microalbuminuria and pegylated interferon in hepatitis-C patients

To determine the relation between hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 4 and microalbuminuria in relation to hepatic histology and viremia in the absence of cryoglobulinemia and to examine the effect of treatment on microalbuminuria, we studied 400 HCV genotype-4-infected patients who were tested for microalbuminuria, albumin creatinine ratio (ACR), urea, creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). The parameters were measured again in the HCV patients after six months of treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin. Microalbuminuria was detected in 56 (14%) HCV-positive patients. There was a highly significant reduction in the microalbuminuria levels among the HCV-positive individuals after six months of therapy (P <0.001). Microalbuminuria was significantly associated with older age [Odds Ratio (OR): 1.1, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.0-1.2, P = 0.01], elevated creatinine (OR: 0.09, 95% CI: 0.01- 0.7, P = 0.02), high modified Histological Activity Index score (OR: 1.5, 95% CI: 1.1-1.5, P = 0.004) and increased viral load (OR: 2.8, 95% CI: 1.1-6.6, P = 0.01). Sustained virological response (SRV) was achieved in 272 (86%) patients. The individuals with SVR had lower microalbuminuria post-treatment (P = 0.56). We conclude that HCV infection can be associated with microalbuminuria, which can be reduced by the use of a combination therapy of pegylated interferon-ribavirin.