Zinc deficiency and advanced liver fibrosis among HIV and hepatitis C co-infected anti-retroviral naïve persons with alcohol use in Russia

Abstract

Background and aims Liver disease in people living with HIV co-infected with hepatitis C virus is a source of morbidity and mortality in Russia. HIV accelerates liver fibrosis in the setting of HCV co-infection and alcohol use. Zinc deficiency is common among people living with HIV and may be a factor that facilitates the underlying mechanisms of liver fibrosis. We investigated the association between zinc deficiency and advanced liver fibrosis in a cohort of HIV/HCV co-infected persons reporting heavy drinking in Russia. Methods This is a secondary data analysis of baseline data from 204 anti-retroviral treatment naïve HIV/HCV co-infected Russians with heavy drinking that were recruited into a clinical trial of zinc supplementation. The primary outcome of interest in this cross-sectional study was advanced liver fibrosis. Zinc deficiency, the main independent variable, was defined as plasma zinc <0.75 mg/L. Exploratory analyses were performed examining continuous zinc levels and fibrosis scores. Analyses were conducted using multivariable regression models adjusted for potential confounders. Results The prevalence of advanced liver fibrosis was similar for those with zinc deficiency compared to those with normal zinc levels, (27.7% vs. 23.0%, respectively). We did not detect an association between zinc deficiency and advanced liver fibrosis in the adjusted regression model (aOR: 1.28, 95% CI: 0.62–2.61, p = 0.51) nor in exploratory analyses. Conclusions In this cohort of Russians with HIV/HCV co-infection, who are anti-retroviral treatment naïve and have heavy alcohol use, we did not detect an association between zinc deficiency or zinc levels and advanced liver fibrosis.

COVID-19: Poor outcomes in patients with zinc deficiency

“…The antiviral property of zinc has been studied extensively in various viral infections, including coronavirus, hepatitis C virus, and HIV (Barocas et al, 2019). However, the exact role of zinc in SARS-CoV-2 is not well studied.…”

Toxic Metals and Non-Communicable Diseases in HIV Population: A Systematic Review

“…This limits the external validity of their findings and the generalizability of their results. Two of the articles engaged further analysis: exploratory [ 31 ] and sensitivity [ 32 ].…”

“…Zinc (Zn): Two of the studies [ 29 , 31 ] investigated the relationship between Zn and the development of condyloma acuminata and advanced liver cirrhosis in HIV-positive patients, respectively, while Li et al [ 33 ] assessed the association between semen quality of HIV-positive men and the concentration of seminal Zn. One of the studies [ 29 ] revealed that the mean plasma Zn levels were significantly lower in condyloma acuminata patients with HIV infection than those without HIV infection, with the difference in mean plasma Zn levels of 7.31 μg/dL (95% CI 2.25–12.37, p < 0.05).…”

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“…The world is now facing a serious pandemic, caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), also known as the novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID- 19). There is an urgent need for pharmacological, traditional, and complementary medicine approaches and nutritional intervention to aid in prevention, treatment, and recovery from the infection.…”

“…Zinc is essential for the development and activation of T-lymphocytes, which are the leading cells for defense against viral infections [18]. The antiviral property of zinc has been studied extensively in hepatitis C virus, coronavirus, human immunodeficiency virus and others [19].…”