Brief Articles
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World J Gastroenterol. Jan 28, 2009; 15(4): 462-466
Published online Jan 28, 2009. doi: 10.3748/wjg.15.462
Clinical expression of insulin resistance in hepatitis C and B virus-related chronic hepatitis: Differences and similarities
Marcello Persico, Mario Masarone, Vincenzo La Mura, Eliana Persico, Francesco Moschella, Monica Svelto, Savino Bruno, Roberto Torella
Marcello Persico, Mario Masarone, Vincenzo La Mura, Eliana Persico, Francesco Moschella, Monica Svelto, Roberto Torella, Internal Medicine and Hepatology Unit, Second University of Naples, Naples 80122, Italy
Savino Bruno, Internal Medicine and Hepatology Unit, Fatebe-nefratelli Hospital, Milan 20121, Italy
Author contributions: Persico M and Masarone M analyzed data and wrote the paper; Persico M, Masarone M, La Mura V, Bruno S and Torella R designed research; Persico E and Moschella F performed research.
Correspondence to: Marcello Persico, MD, Internal Medicine and Hepatology Unit, Second University of Naples, Via F. Petrarca, 101/b, Naples 80122, Italy. marcello.persico@unina2.it
Telephone: +39-81-5666838
Fax: +39-81-5666838
Received: January 30, 2008
Revised: October 31, 2008
Published online: January 28, 2009
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the prevalence of the clinical parameters of insulin resistance and diabetes in patients affected by chronic hepatitis C (CHC) or chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 852 consecutive patients (726 CHC and 126 CHB) who had undergone liver biopsy. We recorded age, sex, ALT, type 2 diabetes and/or metabolic syndrome (MS), body mass index (BMI), and apparent disease duration (ADD).

RESULTS: Age, ADD, BMI, prevalence of MS and diabetes in patients with mild/moderate liver fibrosis were significantly higher in CHC. However, the degree of steatosis and liver fibrosis evaluated in liver biopsies did not differ between CHC and CHB patients. At multivariate analysis, age, sex, BMI, ALT and diabetes were independent risk factors for liver fibrosis in CHC, whereas only age was related to liver fibrosis in CHB. We also evaluated the association between significant steatosis (> 30%) and age, sex, BMI, diabetes, MS and liver fibrosis. Diabetes, BMI and liver fibrosis were associated with steatosis > 30% in CHC, whereas only age and BMI were related to steatosis in CHB.

CONCLUSION: These data may indicate that hepatitis C virus infection is a risk factor for insulin resistance.

Keywords: Insulin resistance, Diabetes, Metabolic syndrome, Hepatitis C virus, Hepatitis B virus