The Role of Iron in Hepatitis C Infection

Iron overload of varying degrees is common among patients with chronic hepatitis C. The clinical significance of this iron overload is uncertain. Studies that have evaluated the effect of hepatic iron stores on the response to anti-viral treatment or on the natural history of chronic hepatitis C have found variable results depending on the technique used to measure hepatic iron stores and the degree of iron overload present among the study population. We have tried to comprehensively analyze the literature regarding the clinical interaction between iron overload and the natural history of chronic hepatitis C. The one clear relationship that emerges is that pre treatment serum ferritin inversely correlates with the odds of achieving sustained virological(SVR) response after combination interferon ribavirin treatment. We have also reviewed the limited literature that reports the effect of therapeutic phlebotomy to reverse iron overload among patients with chronic hepatitis C. A small meta-analysis of 6 prospective randomized trials and a subsequent seventh trial do suggest that phlebotomy to induce iron depletion enhances the likelihood of achieving (SVR) after anti-viral therapy. However, these studies are primarily in patients receiving interferon monotherapy, which is of course now obsolete. Finally, a few small studies suggest that therapeutic phlebotomy to induce iron depletion reduces liver transaminase levels and may improve histology, and perhaps even reduce the risk of hepato-cellular carcinoma. Prospective randomized controlled trials of phlebotomy among patients with advanced hepatitis C and iron overload are needed.