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Coffee and Chocolate May Reduce Liver Inflammation in HIV/HCV Coinfected People

HIV/HCV coinfected individuals who drank more coffee and ate more chocolate had lower levels of alanine aminotransferase, an enzyme marker for liver inflammation, according to a study described in the August 26 online edition of the Journal of Hepatology.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can trigger liver inflammation, and over time persistent inflammation and self-repair can lead to severe liver disease including advanced fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. People coinfected with HIV tend to experience more rapid liver disease progression than those with HCV alone.

M. Patrizia Carrieri and fellow investigators with the ANRS CO13 HEPAVIH Study Group investigated whether foods rich in polyphenols -- in particular coffee and chocolate -- could play a role in reducing liver enzyme levels.

This longitudinal analysis included 990 participants in a French HIV/HCV coinfection cohort. The researchers gave participants self-administered questionnaires about their diet and other factors, and collected medical data including alanine and aspartate aminotransferase measurements (ALT and AST, respectively).

Results

• After adjusting for other factors, high coffee consumption (3 or more cups per day) and daily chocolate consumption were independently associated with normal ALT levels (OR 0.65 and 0.57, respectively).
• Only elevated coffee consumption, however, was a significant predictor of normal AST levels.
• The combined effect of coffee and chocolate consumption was significantly associated with a 40% to 50% reduction in the risk of having abnormal liver enzyme levels (>2.5 x upper limit of normal).

"Elevated coffee consumption and daily chocolate intake appear to be associated with reduced level of liver enzymes in HIV/HCV coinfected patients," the study authors concluded. "Further experimental and observational research is needed to better understand the role that polyphenol intake or supplementation can play on liver disease and liver injury."

These findings are consistent with prior research showing that coffee is associated with reduced liver fibrosis in people with hepatitis C and fatty liver disease.

9/27/13

Reference

MP Carrieri, C Lions, P Sogni, et al (ANRS CO13 HEPAVIH Study Group). Association between elevated coffee consumption and daily chocolate intake with normal liver enzymes in HIV-HCV infected individuals: results from the ANRS CO13 HEPAVIH cohort study. Journal of Hepatology. August 26, 2013 (Epub ahead of print).