Serum levels of C-reactive protein and interleukin-1 among patients with chronic kidney disease and the influence of hepatitis C virus infection

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the influence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection on serum interleukin-1 (IL-1) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 CKD patients (aged 40–69 years) attending Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Iraq, between November 2024 and February 2025. Participants were categorised into two groups: Group I (CKD without HCV infection, n=50) and Group II (CKD with HCV infection, n=50). Serum IL-1 and hs-CRP levels were measured using ELISA. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25.0. Group comparisons were made using Student’s t-test or Mann–Whitney test as appropriate, and ROC analysis was used to discriminate CKD+HCV from CKD–HCV patients.

Results: IL-1 and hs-CRP levels were significantly higher in CKD+HCV patients than in CKD–HCV patients (p < 0.001). hs-CRP suggests excellent discriminatory ability (AUC = 0.976, sensitivity = 100%, specificity = 96%), while IL-1 showed moderate performance (AUC = 0.675).

Conclusion: hs-CRP is a more reliable biomarker than IL-1 for identifying inflammation associated with HCV infection in CKD patients, supporting its potential role in cardiovascular risk stratification and monitoring.