A Phase I Dose Escalation Study Demonstrates Quercetin Safety and Explores Potential for Bioflavonoid Antivirals in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C

Overview

Journal Phytother Res

Publisher Wiley

Date 2015 Dec 2

PMID 26621580

Citations 40

Authors

Nu T Lu

Catherine M Crespi

Natalie M Liu

James Q Vu

Yasaman Ahmadieh

Sheng Wu

Sherry Lin

Amy McClune

Francisco Durazo

Sammy Saab

Steven Han

David C Neiman

Simon Beaven

Samuel W French

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects more than 180 million people worldwide, with long-term consequences including liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma. Quercetin bioflavonoids can decrease HCV production in tissue culture, in part through inhibition of heat shock proteins. If quercetin demonstrates safety and antiviral activity in patients, then it could be developed into an inexpensive HCV treatment for third world countries or other affected populations that lack financial means to cover the cost of mainstream antivirals. A phase 1 dose escalation study was performed to evaluate the safety of quercetin in 30 untreated patients with chronic HCV infection and to preliminarily characterize quercetin's potential in suppressing viral load and/or liver injury. Quercetin displayed safety in all trial participants. Additionally, 8 patients showed a "clinically meaningful" 0.41-log viral load decrease. There was a positive correlation (r = 0.41, p = 0.03) indicating a tendency for HCV decrease in patients with a lower ratio of plasma quercetin relative to dose. No significant changes in aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase were detected. In conclusion, quercetin exhibited safety (up to 5 g daily) and there was a potential for antiviral activity in some hepatitis C patients.

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