title: Higher incidence of diabetes in liver transplant recipients with hepatitis C.
abstract: We assessed the clinical and biochemical parameters associated with the development of posttransplantation diabetes (PTDM) in 52 liver transplant recipients followed up for 1 year. Diabetes was present before transplantation in 9.6% (5 of 52) of patients, and PTDM occurred in 23% (11 of 47) of the remaining liver transplant recipients. Of the 13 patients who had hepatitis C as the cause of their liver failure (HC-LD), 8 (62%) developed PTDM; of the 34 patients with other causes of liver failure, 3 (9%) developed PTDM (p < 0.001). Posttransplantation diabetes was also associated with the development of early posttransplantation hyperglycemia, a higher number of liver rejection episodes, and lower serum albumin levels at 6 months. The association of PTDM with HC-LD remained significant in a logistic regression model after adjustment for potential confounding variables. We conclude that PTDM is common in liver transplant recipients. Associated clinical parameters predictive of PTDM include a diagnosis of HC-LD before transplantation, the development of early hyperglycemia after transplantation, multiple episodes of posttransplantation liver rejection and low serum albumin levels at 6 months. The fact that HC-LD remained an independent risk factor for the development of PTDM may suggest a direct or immune-mediated pancreatic effect of the virus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY 10029, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Knobler
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stagnaro-Green
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wallenstein
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Roman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000209:etiology* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D012709:Serum Albumin