Insulin resistance is a specific feature of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, independent of the severity of infection or other metabolic variables, Dr. Rami Moucari of the University of Diderot-Paris and colleagues recently reported.
Insulin is the body's fundamental blood sugar-regulating hormone, normally secreted to clear glucose from the blood, directing it as fuel for the cells. Insulin resistance is a condition in which cells become desensitized to insulin.
HCV is recognized as a system-wide disease, said the researchers. Previous studies have linked the infection to an increased risk of insulin resistance or diabetes.
The French research team found that 150 (32.4 percent) of 462 chronic HCV patients who did not yet have diabetes were insulin resistant. Among them, resistance was associated with metabolic syndrome (heart disease and diabetes risk factors), HCV genotypes 1 and 4, significant liver scarring or fibrosis, severe fatty liver disease, and being older than age 40.
Among 145 chronic HCV patients without metabolic syndrome or significant liver scarring, resistance was seen in 22 (15 percent) and was associated with HCV genotypes 1 and 4, high viral load, and moderate-to-severe liver inflammation.
"Insulin resistance should be assessed in the routine management of patients with chronic hepatitis C," Moucari said.
The report, "Insulin Resistance in Chronic Hepatitis C: Association with Genotypes 1 and 4, Serum HCV RNA Level, and Liver Fibrosis," was published in Gastroenterology (2008;134(2):416-423).
02/28/08
FRANCE: Insulin Resistance Tied to Hepatitis C Infection
Source: Reuters Health:: Michelle Rizzo; Courtesy of the CDC National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention