Hepatitis C virus infection and type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus

Figure 1 Patients seropositive for hepatitis C virus show a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus than healthy controls. Twelve representative epidemiological studies demonstrated a relationship between HCV infection and the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Analyses have shown a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus in patients who are seropositive for HCV than in controls. ^bP < 0.001, T2DM in HCV+ pts vs T2DM in control subjects. HCV+: Hepatitis C virus-infected; pts: Patients.

Figure 2 Potential regulation of the endocrine manifestations of hepatitis C virus infection in islet β-cells. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection may act by upregulating CXC chemokine ligand (CXCL) 10 gene expression and the subsequent secretion of this chemokine by islet β-cells. These events lead to the recruitment of Th1 lymphocytes that secrete interferon (IFN)-γ and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, which induce chemokine secretion by islet β-cells, thus perpetuating the immune cascade. This cascade may lead to the appearance of autoimmune thyroid disorders in genetically predisposed subjects.